Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) as well as the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall’s (KLSCAH) youth section and civil rights committee urged the authorities to uphold the protesters’ freedom of expression.
In a statement, Umany president Tang Yi Ze said that Article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression for all Malaysians.
He also said the arrested activists posed no threat and were merely holding placards peacefully.
“The arrests represent a significant regression in the country’s democratic progress. The organisation will continue to stand in solidarity with the three activists and call upon the authorities to arrest Azam,” it said.
KLSCAH’s youth section and civil rights committee, in a separate statement, urged the Madani government to defend the people’s fundamental right to speak out and to preserve the space for expressing dissent.
“We urge the government to focus its efforts on investigating high-ranking officials implicated in corruption and the abuse of power, rather than targeting unarmed, ordinary citizens.
“We demand that the police release the activists immediately and restore the democratic space that rightfully belongs to the people,” they said.
Earlier today, Azam was about six minutes into his address at the Wacana Ilmiah Perdana at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur when a protester, holding up a placard, appeared in front of the stage where the MACC chief was speaking.
Another emerged from behind seconds later, carrying a placard that called for Azam’s arrest, believed to be in relation to the MACC chief’s shareholdings case.
They were promptly escorted out of the hall by security personnel, with the disruption lasting just a short while.
While the earlier report indicated two protesters were involved, Malaysiakini, citing lawyer Balqis Qisteena Zeedren, confirmed that three activists were detained following the incident.
The three are Mandiri coordinators Hamdin Nordin and Fakrurrazzi Khairur Rijal, as well as Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia activist Ahsanul Akmal Sulam.