PAKATAN Harapan Youth has taken the ruling coalition to task over the enhanced sentence of Wan Ji Wan Hussin under the Sedition Act, demanding the independent preacher’s immediate release from jail and the repeal of the colonial-era law.

In a statement today, the Youth chiefs of the four PH parties – Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Bersatu), Howard Lee (DAP), Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (PKR) and Sany Hamzan (Amanah) – said the coalition’s leaders ought to remember their election promise to repeal all oppressive laws, including the Sedition Act 1948.

“PH’s manifesto called for the repeal of oppressive laws to uphold the freedom of expression and human rights that are guaranteed by the federal constitution.

“We thus urge the public prosecutor to explain why they cross-appealed for a stiffer sentence on Wan Ji as this clearly goes against the PH’s policy stand on this cruel law.

“We also urge the federal government to immediately abolish the Sedition Act so that such violations of human rights do not recur.”

Wan Ji was slapped with an additional three months in jail by the Shah Alam High Court yesterday, on top of the nine-month sentence handed down by the Sessions Court.

He failed to appeal the conviction for insulting the sultan of Selangor in a Facebook post seven years ago.

During mitigation, his lawyer told the high court that Wan Ji was the sole breadwinner in a family of five children aged one to 14, as his wife did not work.

The judge, Abdul Halim Aman, however, ordered that a proper stay application be filed formally. 

The judge also cited the Rukun Negara when extending the jail sentence, calling Wan Ji’s offence an “extreme act” in view of the Rukun Negara principle of loyalty to king and country.

Wan Ji began his one year sentence yesterday. – July 10, 2019.