UMS student released after five-hour detention under Sedition Act

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) student Abdul Qayyum was released last night after the police detained and questioned him for five hours under the Sedition Act, according to Suara Mahasiswa UMS.

According to the student group, Qayyum had been investigated under Section 4(1) of the Act.

Police also confiscated Qayyum’s mobile phone and SIM card for further investigation, which was believed to be in connection with a comment he posted on Sabah governor Musa Aman’s Facebook page.

The group said the investigating officer initially informed them that Qayyum would be remanded in court today, but he was instead released without charge.

“We believe the widespread pressure and solidarity shown tonight led to Qayyum’s immediate release,” the student group said in a statement.

They also renewed calls for the Sedition Act to be abolished, pointing out that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had once opposed the colonial-era legislation.

“We urge an immediate repeal of the Sedition Act, and for an end to hypocrisy and intimidation against freedom of expression,” they added.

Condemning the arrest, human rights group Suaram said Qayyum’s case was at least the third instance this year of student activists being detained under the Sedition Act for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right to free expression.

“Arrests such as this continue a longstanding pattern seen under previous administrations, where the Sedition Act has been repeatedly abused to stifle dissent - for example, in the cases of Fahmi Reza, Sarah Irdina and Khalid Ismath.

“By repeating this repressive playbook, the Madani government is entrenching practices it once promised to reform. Suaram demands the immediate withdrawal of the Sedition Act investigation against Qayyum.

“Ending this vicious cycle of intimidation requires abolishing the Sedition Act once and for all, to bring Malaysia’s laws into line with its constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression,” it said.

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