Case History: Mandeep Singh
On 8 September 2015, human rights defenders Ms Maria Chin Abdullah, Ms Mandeep Singh and Mr Adam Adli Abdul Halim were among nine activists who were charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act for organising and taking part in an allegedly unlawful assembly held in Kuala Lumpur on 28 March 2015.
The HRDs managed to get the case referred to Federal Court on 9 August 2016 for a Constitutional challenge. No date has fixed yet at Federal Court. If they succeed in that application, then the entire case will be dropped.
Mandeep Singh is Secretariat Manager of Bersih 2.0, a coalition of NGOs advocating for reforms of the electoral system in Malaysia in order to ensure free and fair elections. Founded in 2006, the coalition has organised three rallies calling for a transparent electoral process and raising awareness of what they claim are flaws of the electoral system.
On 8 September 2015, human rights defenders Ms Maria Chin Abdullah, Ms Mandeep Singh and Mr Adam Adli Abdul Halim were among nine activists who were charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act for organising and taking part in an allegedly unlawful assembly held in Kuala Lumpur on 28 March 2015.
On 8 September 2015, three magistrates accepted the charges against the human rights defenders and the other six activists related to the organisation and participation in an allegedly unlawful assembly, which was held in Kuala Lumpur on 28 March 2015. However, the lawyers for the human rights defenders state that the assembly did not violate the Peaceful Assembly Act. They were granted bail on condition of payment of 500 Malaysian Ringgit and one surety each (approximately 100 euro). Their trial is scheduled to begin on 16 October 2015.
While the charges are based on events that took place in March 2015, they were brought immediately after protests organised by Bersih in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu on 29 and 30 August 2015. The protests, named Bersih 4, demanded institutional reforms and the resignation of Prime Minister Mohd Najib bin Abdul Razak, in connection with allegations of financial mismanagement of a state investment firm and embezzlement. The organisers estimated that ten thousand people attended the protest.Adam Adli Abd Halim, Syukri Rezab and Mandeep Singh
On 2 September 2015, the police questioned Maria Chin Abdullah, Mandeep Singh, Adam Adli Abdul Halim and other Bersih members who organised the Bersih 4 rally. The police questioned them for two and a half hours about the financial sources for the rally, as well as its planning and execution. They were further questioned about the launch announcement of the rally on August 14 and the personal details of each committee member. However, the human rights defenders exercised their right not to answer the questions.
On 2 September 2015, police questioned seven human rights defenders regarding the two-day Bersih 4 rally which took place in Kuala Lumpur on 29-30 August 2015.
Those who were questioned, Maria Chin Abdullah, Sarajun Hoda, Masjaliza Hamzah, Fadiah Nadwa, Farhana Halim, Mandeep Singh and Adam Adli Abdul Halim, are all organisers of the Bersih 4 rally. The protest was held to demand institutional reforms and the resignation of Prime Minister Mohd Najib bin Abdul Razak, in connection with allegations of financial mismanagement of a state investment firm and embezzlement.
On 2 September 2015, the police questioned the organisers for two and a half hours about the financial sources for the rally, as well as its planning and execution. They were further questioned about the launch announcement of the rally on August 14 and the personal details of each committee member. However, the human rights defenders refused to answer the questions, as is their right.
The seven human rights defenders were summoned for questioning in relation to a number of complaints which were filed by the police against the organisers of the rally. They are being investigated for allegedly concealing plans to commit an offence, attempting to commit activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy, and unlawful assembly, which are charges under Sections 120, 124C and 141 of the Penal Code.
The members and organisers of Bersih rallies have been subjected to continuous harassment due to their work. On 31 July 2015, Messrs Adam Adli Abdul Halim, Syukri Rezab and Mandeep Singh were arrested and Ms Ambiga Sreenavasan was summoned for questioning in relation to their role in organising peaceful protests. Although they all were released afterwards, they are still under investigation on charges of carrying out activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy, under Article 124 of the Penal Code, a charge which carry a prison term of up to 20 years.
On 23 July 2015, travel bans were imposed on Ms Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Maria Chin Abdullah, Mr Hishamuddin Rais and Adam Adli Abdul Halim for their involvement in the organisation of protest activities.
On 31 July 2015, three human rights defenders were arrested and a fourth one was summoned for questioning in relation to their role organising peaceful protests. Messrs Adam Adli Abd Halim, Syukri Rezab and Mandeep Singh will be held overnight at Jinjang detention centre before being brought before a court for a remand hearing on 1 August 2015 at 10 a.m. Ms Ambiga Sreenavasan was summoned and questioned but subsequently released. All four human rights defenders are under investigation on charges of carrying out activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy, under Article 124 of the Penal Code, a charge which carry a prison term of up to 20 years.
Mandeep Singh is a staff member of the secretariat Bersih, a coalition of NGOs advocating for free and fair elections and for reforms of the electoral system. The coalition includes human rights organisations such as the National Human Rights Society, Sister in Islam, Suaram, Trade Union Congress, and the Women's Development Collective. Bersih called for mass protests in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu on the weekend of 29 and 30 August 2015 to demand institutional reforms and the resignation of Prime Minister Mohd Najib bin Abdul Razak, in connection with allegations of financial mismanagement of a state investment firm and embezzlement. Mandeep Signh received a summons to appear at the police station, but was not informed of the reason. He went to Petaling police station in Jalan Klang Lama on 31 July and was arrested under Section 124 of the Penal Code. According to the police, his arrest is in connection to statements he made at a press conference. However, it remains unclear which statements and press conference are under investigation.
