Candlelight vigil for arrested student activist
An overnight candlelight vigil will be held tonight in front of the Jinjang police remand centre, in protest against the arrest of student activist Adam Adli Abd Halim earlier today.
Adam, 24, was picked up by the police outside his Bangsar home at around 4pm and taken straight to Jinjang where he is being charged under the Sedition Act 1948.
If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three years, fined not more than RM5,000 or both.
His arrest is believed to be linked to his remarks at a post-election forum organised by Suara Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) on May 13 where he told the audience that Malaysians “cannot wait for five years to overthrow Umno and BN”.
According to fellow activist Mandeep Singh, tonight’s vigil is being organised by Adam’s friends and supporters who will be camping overnight in front of the remand centre.
“We call on those who are joining us in solidarity tonight to arrive at 8pm, wear black and bring a tent along,” Mandeep said when contacted this evening.
“We will know by tonight which court Adam will be taken to tomorrow for the remand process.”
Mandeep added that he was with Adam until the latter was taken into the lock-up, and that Adam was “strong, fine and smiling”.
Adam’s lawyer Latheefa Koya meanwhile said the authorities had yet to take an official statement from Adam and were unlikely to do so tonight.
“What concerns us is that he was picked up and taken straight to Jinjang which is a remand centre, instead of being questioned and having his statement taken,” she told fz.com.
Latheefa called Adam’s arrest a “crackdown” but said she does not know if any of the other speakers at the forum would be picked up.
Adam’s arrest has ignited a string of protests on Twitter with prominent Opposition and civil society leaders expressing outrage over the incident.
Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson S Ambiga tweeted “Arresting @AdamAdli, Home Minister? Seriously” and “This is rule BY law not rule OF law. You think this is the way to go? Shocking!!!”
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng tweeted that the incident marked a “new darkness in Malaysia”.
Lawyers for Liberty meanwhile questioned in its tweet whether it was the way how Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak plans to attract young and urban voters.
The suspended Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student made headlines last year when he was investigated for removing a flag bearing Najib’s image outside the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
