On 19 July 2016, the Malaysian student activist, Ali Abdul Jalil, was granted permanent residence in Sweden after fleeing Malaysia because of sedition charges.
“My request for asylum has been granted. Thank you Sweden for the PR status, I love Sweden so much,” he wrote in a Facebook positing following the permit to stay in Sweden.
Ali fled Malaysia in 2014, through Thailand to Sweden, after he was charged for allegedly insulting the Johor royalty, the Selangor Sultan. In 2014, before leaving Malaysia, he was arrested four times based on the sedition charges.
“If I am evil, Sweden will not give me PR status. Thanks to my parents, siblings and all those who prayed for me. To the haters and critics, thanks for your ideas and healthy criticism,” he stated on Facebook.
Despite his sufferings, Ali have not stopped criticising the Monarchy in Malaysia. From Sweden, he have several times mocked the Monarchy on Facebook and called for its abolishment. This have caused the Malaysian Immigration Department to revoke his passport.
Ali was in 2014 one out of 15 Malays, who were arrested under the Sedition Act that originates from the colonial-era. Amnesty International describes him as a “prisoner of conscience”, a definition of people who have been jailed or prosecuted because of their political, religious or other conscientiously held beliefs.
Sources:
The MalayMail Online (July 19, 2016)
Malaysia Today (December 17, 2014)
