Amanah: Khalid Ismath's a family man, won't flee
Amanah today demanded the release on bail of activist Khalid Ismath, who is held after slapped with 14 charges for social media postings on the Johor sultan.
Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said it is "mischievous" to say Khalid will flee the country if given bail, since he is a family man.
"The excuse that he shouldn't be granted bail because of flight risk is extremely mischievous because he has a wife and a child here.
"I am confident he will face the charges in court and defend himself. I know this because this young man has the courage to face any verdict," he said in a statement.
Khalid, a PSM activist, was slapped with 11 charges under the Communications and Multimedia Act, and three charges under the Sedition Act.
Khalid's lawyer Dinesh Muthal said Khalid was not granted bail for fear that he would abscond, like blogger Ali Abdul Jalil, who fled to Sweden to seek asylum after charged with sedition.
Ali was also charged over social media postings against the royal institution.
The lawyer also offered to have the court withhold Khalid's passport instead, to no avail.
Khalid was arrested at his workplace in Johor Bahru on Sept 7.
He was subsequently released, and re-arrested under the Sedition Act.
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