Activist Wong Yan Ke has raised concerns over the future of Malaysia’s democracy after the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction and RM10,000 fine for insulting then Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Abdul Rahim Hashim and convocation attendees during a 2019 protest.

In a statement, Wong said he respected the court's authority but warned that the ruling could set a troubling precedent for dissent.

According to him, it could create further obstacles for student activists, social movements and citizens exercising their right to protest.

"Nearly seven years have passed since I raised that placard. Malaysia has changed governments, but authoritarian legalism persists. Arrest, detention and prosecution, cloaked in legal procedure, are used to wear down civil society.