Student group Challenger has pleaded for Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to intervene in the jailing of Muhammad Amirul Azwan Mohd Shakri.

The 19-year-old is currently serving a one-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to 14 counts of intentionally insulting the crown prince.

He was charged and sentenced under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

In an open letter today, Challenger spokesperson Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahmad urged Tunku Ismail to show magnanimity.

“We seek your assent to forgive Muhammad Amirul and do everything in your power to secure his freedom, such as by pardoning him or lobbying against Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

“We seek your assent to prove to Malaysians once again you are a leader who does as he preaches.

“We seek your assent to once again show an example to Malaysian leaders by being the bigger and better person,” the letter said.

Syed Saddiq said the group did not deny Muhammad Amirul's actions were unwarranted.

But freedom of speech should not be restricted simply because it was considered offensive, he said.

Challenger also praised Tunku Ismail for having previously defended his critics and for urging the police not to arrest them.

The past few weeks have seen a spate of arrests and prosecution, with action being taken against at least four people for posting comments critical of Tunku Ismail on social media.

Muhammad Amirul, a labourer, was arrested on April 28 and sentenced to jail yesterday.

On May 31, police boarded a fishing boat at sea to arrest a 46-year-old who supposedly went by the Facebook handle ‘Minah Pendek’.

Just three days prior, police arrested a 23-year-old assistant chef in Dengkil over comments he allegedly posted on Facebook that disparaged Tunku Ismail.

On May 26, Pahang football fan Masyhur Abdullah, 29, was remanded to facilitate investigations into an image he allegedly posted under the Twitter handle @thekeluangman.

Many of the allegedly offensive remarks are believed to pertain to football, as Tunku Ismail is the owner of the Johor Darul Takzim football club.

All of them had either been investigated or charged under Section 233, which criminalises the ‘improper use’ of network facilities with the intent of annoying, abusing, or threatening another person.

Various rights groups and lawyers have criticised the law as being too broad.

Police action came despite Tunku Ismail’s statement on May 30 urging the police not to arrest his critics, but instead arrange face-to-face meetings with him.

“I would prefer it if the authorities can organise a meeting for me to meet with these people and give them the privilege of saying what they want to say to my face, man to man.

“I would appreciate it if you can agree to my humble proposal,” he said in a Facebook post.