Having fled the country for his criticism of the monarchy in Malaysia, social activist Ali Abd Jalil's move to seek asylum in Sweden, which has a reigning king, may seem like an ironic choice.
 
But according to Ali, unlike Malaysia, Sweden's monarch is more open to criticism.
 
"Here in Sweden, there is freedom to speak. People can criticise or say things against the monarchy," he told Malaysiakini in an interview.

Furthermore, he said society in Sweden was less feudalistic as their monarch is addressed like any other citizen.
 
"There is no such thing as having to use words such as 'duli yang maha mulia' mengadap sembah, berdaulat, patik...

"Everyone is treated like a human being, it doesn't matter whether you are a king, a worker, doctor, student or whoever," he said.

He added that the community there also does not threaten people who criticise the monarch like how right-wing groups have threatened to kill him in Malaysia.
 
Ali had been arrested four times and slapped with at least three sedition charges after 22 days of detention for criticising the monarchy on Facebook, but maintains that he had done no wrong.
 
"It is all just because of Facebook. I did not ask any people to kill anyone, I did not ask people to commit crimes or whatever, I just criticised the government and sultan," he said.
 
An act of defiance
 
Despite his predicament, Ali remains defiant and even posed for photograph with the Sang Saka Malaya flag in Sweden, a symbol of the leftist movement during pre-independence Malaya, a rival to Umno at that time.

The government last year proposed an amendment to the Penal Code outlawing the flying of other flags other than the national flag to represent Malaysia after the Sang Saka Malaya was revived.

The offence is punishable with imprisonment of a minimum of five years or up to 15 years in jail.

Last October however, the amendments were withdrawn as it would be added to the National Harmony Bill currently being reviewed.
 
Ali defended his actions, stating that he had no issues with the Jalur Gemilang but the left-wing movement had settled for the Sang Saka Malaya 10 years before Malaya's independence.

"Our current flag is quite good but for me, originally our flag in Malaysia is supposed to be the Sang Saka Malaya," he said.

Having been adopted as a "prisoner of conscience" by Amnesty International, the organisation's chapter in Sweden has facilitated his asylum seeking process.

Ali, who has already obtained a work permit, said he is settling in and have met fellow asylum seekers there who have been supportive of him.

After finding for a job, Ali says he also intends to pursue his study in management in Sweden as he can no longer continue with his current study at a local university in Malaysia.
 
He added if he fails to obtain asylum, he will apply for migration to Sweden but intends to one day return to Malaysia.

Part 1: Ali: I left because they wanted to kill me