The threats came after Umany had uploaded a Facebook post concerning the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which they have since removed and apologised for.

Umany president Robin Yap Wen Qing and his deputy, Tan Li Yuan, said the threats, through phone calls and text messages, started coming in from Wednesday.

“Some of these messages include threats to kill us and our family members. They threatened to throw acid and also rape female members.

“We are worried because these individuals are misusing our personal data to harass us,” Yap said, adding that the threats had caused them mental distress.

He said nine Umany members, including him and Tan, had received these threats.

“One of our members has already lodged a report on this in his hometown. Today, both of us are doing so here,” Yap said.

The students’ lawyer, Kuhan Manokaran, hoped police will take the threats seriously.

“Police have been vigorous in pursuing investigations on Umany’s Facebook statement. I hope they will also take these death threats seriously,” he said.

Police had investigated the Umany leaders over the Facebook post, titled “Yang di-Pertuan Agong should not intervene in national affairs”, for sedition and offences under the Communications and Multimedia Act.

Yap and Tan were called in to further assist in the police probe earlier this week.

Legal groups and human rights advocates have since come to the defence of Umany and its leaders, describing the police action as unjust.

Accompanying the group at the Petaling Jaya police district headquarters was Umany’s former president, Wong Yan Ke, who has been charged with disobeying a police order to stop broadcasting a police raid on Yap’s house live on Facebook.