E;F;F;I;N;G; Draconian Police Arrest 2 teens over video rant on SPM paper - LFL condemned action as heavy-handed

LFL: Arrest of 2 teens over video rant on SPM paper heavy-handed


Rights group Lawyers for Liberty has condemned what it described to be a "heavy-handed" approach by police against two Form Five students arrested in connection with a viral video of obscene remarks made against their SPM History paper.

LFL director Zaid Malek said the reported police raid at their homes, followed by arrest and a drug test, would have caused the two 18-year-olds and their family "extreme trauma".

"And all this over a video where they vented their frustrations on their SPM History paper,” said Zaid.

"Even if there were unsavoury comments uttered, it does not warrant the intervention of the police force. It should have been a matter for the school authorities and their parents.

"They were just teenagers who were being childish and they already apologised for the video, yet they were treated like hardened criminals," he added.

The 36-second video on social media showed one of the teenagers in school uniform ranting against the creator of the SPM History paper and showing his middle finger.

He was also heard making disparaging remarks about a neighbouring country.

Yesterday, Hulu Selangor district police chief Suffian Abdullah confirmed the arrests and said the action followed a report lodged by a teacher at their school.

He said the two students were remanded until today for investigations under Section 14 Minor Offences Act 1995 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Commenting further, Zaid said the continued existence of section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) which is being used against the boys is a bane to freedom of speech, and contrary to promises of reform by the Pakatan Harapan government.

"Though freedom of speech is not unfettered, the right should not be limited lightly.

"Criticisms on the government should not be criminalised, and childish vents by teenagers even less so.

"Are we to subject every teenager to arrest and prosecution for simply ranting online? Is this what we have come to?

"We strongly condemn the overzealous and arbitrary actions of the police in dealing with the arrest of the teenagers and urge that all police action cease and the matter be handed to school authorities," he stressed.

Overreaction

The arrests also attracted criticism from politicians, who regarded what happened in the case as being excessive and could inflict mental trauma on the students.

Undi18 young voters movement, in a statement, said the arrests would indirectly affect the students' focus and emotion when they are still sitting for SPM.

"Furthermore, the investigation under Section 233 of the CMA saw police seizing the students' handphones, which is an overreaction as this also blocks their medium of communication.

"They are sitting for SPM and still need their phones to communicate with their friends and teachers to get important information about the exam.

"The students involved are only school students who do not pose threat to the public safety through their viral video, which was only meant as a joke among friends to release stress after sitting for a paper which they felt was difficult," said the statement.

Undi18 also condemned the teacher who lodged the police report, saying that it was not the right thing to do in such a case.

Instead, the movement said, the teacher could have lodged a complaint directly to the school attended by the students, where its disciplinary board and the counselling unit can take appropriate action to ensure they won't do it again.

On top of this, Undi18 joined the call for the government to repeal CMA to prevent the law from being abused against public members who only want to express their views through social media.

Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii


In a similar tune, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said the arrests were "beyond excessive, disproportionate and may possibly create unintended mental stress and infliction on their overall well-being".

According to the Pakatan Harapan representative, the students need to be educated and guided rather than being treated as criminals.

Yii also criticised CMA, which he said was a serious encroachment on the freedom of speech.

"While freedom of speech may have its limitations and restrictions, such restrictions must be reasonable and proportionate.

"The extremely wide and draconian effect of Section 233(1)(a) renders it an impermissible restriction, in as much as it unduly negates the exercise of the right to speech and expression," he said in a statement.

Yii called for authorities to drop their investigation against the students.