Outspoken lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri in her tweet today had stated that she has been summoned to Bukit Aman on Tuesday 3 March 2020 at 11am as she will be investigated under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act and the Section 233 (1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act with regards to her involvement in organising a peaceful gathering on Saturday 29 February 2020 at Dataran Merdeka which was also the same venue for a peaceful gathering on Tuesday 25 February 2020.
This heavy handedness in handling participants or organisers of peaceful gatherings contravenes the spirit of freedom of expression and the freedom to assemble which is enshrined in the Federal Constitution, the supreme law of the land.
In the past 21 months under the leadership of Pakatan Harapan, Malaysians from all walks of life had organised and participated in gatherings and even rallies peacefully under the watchful eye of our enforcement officers for the safety of the participants and to ensure that no violence takes place at these peaceful rallies. Some rallies had up to thousands of participants to express their views on various issues, even if when they disagreed with the policies or stand of the previous Pakatan Harapan Government.
The Pakatan Harapan government, in the past, had amended the Peaceful Assembly Act to ensure that the right to expression and to assemble as per enshrined in the Federal Constitution was in line with international standards accorded by international conventions and treaties that uphold civil liberties and human rights.
Differing opinions from the Government of the day is not a threat to national security and Fadiah Nadwa Fikri certainly is not a person who has threatened the peace in our nation.
If at all, it is her love for her nation, for our Malaysia that has made her stand up courageously to speak her mind on the new leadership of the nation.
Malaysians have every right to express their unhappiness on how the Prime Minister had been appointed, in a peaceful manner without calling for violence or disorder.
The freedom and right to expression and assembly must be protected, defended and upheld by all, for all and not just for the elite few.