Police are believed to be investigating Adam Adli under Section 143 of the Penal Code for a speech he gave at a similar rally last week. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — Police arrested activists Adam Adli Abdul Halim and Fariz Musa at a rally held in support of jailed Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim here this evening.

It is understood that Adam Adli was detained after giving a speech at the gathering outside a shopping mall on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

Police are believed to be investigating him under Section 143 of the Penal Code for a speech he gave at a similar rally last week.

“He was arrested for being a member of an unlawful assembly,” New Sin Yew, the lawyer representing Adam Adli, told Malay Mail Online.

“The arrest is unconstitutional as he has the right to be anywhere he wants or if he wants to be a part of an assembly,” New added.

It was initially reported that Adam Adli was the sole activist arrested, but PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad later confirmed that Jingga 13 organiser Fariz Musa was also detained.

According to Nik Nazmi, police attempted to arrest him after Adam Adli, but he was pulled away by the crowd during the commotion.

“Police in plainclothes tried to arrest me after they got Adam Adli. I condemn them for not identifying themselves nor informing me of my offence in their attempted arrest,” he said in a statement.

Both activists are currently held at the Jinjang district police headquarters and will likely to be kept overnight.

Lawyers for Liberty’s Michelle Yesudass earlier complained on Twitter that police have barred both activists from meeting with their lawyers.

Adam Adli and Fariz are the latest pro-opposition activists to be arrested in what appears to be a crackdown on those criticising the Federal Court’s decision in Anwar’s case.

Prior to Adam Adli, a Malaysian Socialist Party leader and two other activists were arrested under the Sedition Act 1948 for postings on social media linked to the court ruling.

Putrajaya had previously pledged to repeal the Sedition Act 1948 that critics say is used to stifle political opposition and dissent, but later announced that it will be retained and expanded instead.

Last week, the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal’s 2014 ruling that had reversed Anwar’s acquittal of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, also sentencing him to five years’ jail.

Anwar maintained that the charge was politically driven kill off his career, a charge that Putrajaya has repeatedly denied.