The investigation of UM lecturer Khoo Ying Hooi over an article on the Kita Lawan rallies is an affront to academic freedom, said Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming.

 

“Khoo's column raises many valid points about the motivations and actions of the police force in Malaysia as well as in other countries in response to public protests.

 

“To question her and to investigate and possibly charge her under the Penal Code is an affront to and an attack on academic freedom in Malaysia,” said Ong in a statement today.

 

He was responding to a The Malaysian Insider ( TMI ) report today that the police questioned Khoo yesterday over an article ‘Who owns the police?’ published on the news website on March 16.

 

According to the report, the academic spent one and a half hours with the police at her office and is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.

 

According to TMI , Khoo in the article observed that the police have been criticised for continuing to use Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA), which the Court of Appeal has deemed unconstitutional, to arrest participants of Kita Lawan rallies.

 

Ong noted that inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar tweeted on the same day the article was published, saying, "KYH's (Khoo’s) article in TMI is misleading the readers. When did PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) allow the (March) 7th street protest?”

 

TMI believed the IGP to be referring to the massive March 7 protest in Kuala Lumpur that saw roughly 10,000 march from Sogo shopping centre to Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).

 

At least six opposition leaders and activists have been arrested following the rally, which is part of a series of Kita Lawan rallies to call for the freeing of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

 

“I call upon the IGP to put an immediate stop to these intimidation tactics against legitimate academic inquiry and research,” said Ong.