Heidy Quah, the founder of Refuge for the Refugees, will not be prosecuted by the police for allegedly violating the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, the activist claimed.
Quah said that the investigating officer (IO) in the case had told her that, despite being expected to face charges, she would not be brought to the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex tomorrow.
On Facebook earlier today, Quah expressed her expectation that she would face charges under Section 233(1)(a) of the act, which deals with posting content with the intent to annoy others.
“These charges come again for the second time, following a Facebook post I wrote to amplify the then director-general of Health, (Tan Sri Dr Noor) Hisham Abdullah’s concerns on the mass arrest of refugees and migrants in the hundreds during the lockdown, which led to detention centres fast becoming Covid-19 hotspots given the cramped living conditions.
“This is utterly ridiculous, and not what I expected when we voted for a new government.
“This re-charge is the new government condoning what the old government is doing by silencing legitimate criticism against the government,” she said in her post today.
However, after being informed that the police will not continue their case against her, Quah told Coconuts, she is cautiously optimistic about the news.
“The entire ordeal has still taken a toll on me. I don’t think the case was dropped because the new administration is more lenient toward refugees in the country, rather, it’s a mix of public pressure, our letters of appeals, and different leaders within the government that have worked hard for a New Malaysia and want to do things right,” she said.
On July 27, 2021, Quah was previously charged under the same section for posting online about the difficulties faced by refugees in immigration depots.
Quah reiterated today that these accusations are harassment against her and the communities she works with.
“The time, energy, and resources spent battling a case that is systematically flawed, unfair, and unjust once again takes away precious time and resources on the ground to do meaningful and impactful work.
“Not only is freedom of speech and expression a basic human right but having an individual pinned down for sharing the realities on the ground is state-sponsored violence against women,” she wrote.
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