‘Good riddance’, says Khairy as Sweden gives amnesty to fugitive activist

(Malay Mail Online) – Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told on-the-run activist Ali Abd Jalil today to never return Malaysia as he greeted the revelation that the man had won asylum in Sweden yesterday.

“Good riddance. Don’t ever come back,” the Umno Youth chief tweeted on his account @Khairykj.

He was also quick to brush aside criticism of his remark.

Yesterday, Immigration Director-General Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim announced that Putrajaya has revoked the passports of sex blogger Alvin Tan and student activist Ali, in a first for the country.

Ali and Tan, who is similarly seeking political asylum in the US, no longer have valid travel documents. They will have to get consular assistance for emergency travel.

Ali has since posted an update on Facebook pointing out that he has been granted asylum documents in Sweden, leaving him out of Malaysia’s legal jurisdiction.

Ali had been among the over 20 anti-government dissidents and opposition politicians who were arrested under the colonial-era Sedition Act 1948 recently in the space of one month.

He was repeatedly charged with allegedly insulting the Johor and Selangor royal houses, and was made to spend a total of 22 days in prison while under remand.

His case even caught the attention of global watchdog Amnesty International, who recognised him as a “prisoner of conscience”.