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Sedition clamp down widens
Free Malaysia Today - May 23, 2013
As of 5pm, the police had reportedly arrested five people. Initial reports claimed that PKR leader and Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) founder Badrul Hisham Shaharin was among those detained.
However, a text message to FMT via Badrul's mobile phone read: "A few men who in a Proton Waja who are believed to be policemen came looking for him at his mother's house. But he wasn't there. He is in KL until May 25... up to this point, he is fine."
The arrests came after student activist Adam Ali was charged this morning under the Sedition Act for calling for the toppling of the BN government during a forum on May 13.
First to be arrested today was Anything But Umno (ABU) leader Haris Ibrahim who was nabbed while having his lunch, followed by PKR vice-president Tian Chua at the LCCT and PAS member Thamrin Ghaffar, arrested at a popular kopitiam restaurant in Bangsar.
And then at about 5pm, news filtered in to say that Badrul Hisham has also been arrested. However at 6pm, apart from an SMS from his handphone, a statement by SAMM said that Badrul Hisham was "still free".
It could not be confirmed with the police if Badrul Hisham has been arrested. All those arrested have been detained under the Sedition Act.
Arrested while having lunch
"Haris was approached by five police officers during lunch [in Segambut] just now and was arrested. He has been taken to the Jinjang police detention centre," said activist A Jayanath of Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, who was having lunch with Haris.
He told FMT that Haris was arrested in relation to his speech during a May 13 forum, the same forum where Adam made his call to topple the BN government. Haris too had said something similar in the forum.
He had called upon the public to take to the streets to bring down the BN-led government due to alleged cheating in the recently concluded 13th general election.
Meanwhile, Tian Chua, who also spoke at the forum, was arrested at the LCCT. Tian Chua was arrested when he was about to board a flight to Kuala Terengganu to attend the Terengganu state level Blackout 505 rally which is scheduled to be held tonight.
He later tweeted: "Whatever happen, the people must not allow ourselves to be overtaken by fear; continue to assemble peacefully and have faith – we shall overcome!"
According to Haris' lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, Thamrin, the son of former deputy prime minister Ghaffar Baba, had also been taken to the Jinjang detention centre. He was among those present at the May 13 forum.
Badrul Hisham, better known as CheguBard meanwhile, is the main organiser of the people's rally in Petaling Jaya this Saturday. The rally is called to express the people's objections to the tainted general election. SAMM reiterated that the rally would proceed as planned.
Statements taken from DAP leaders
At the same time, the police had also taken statements from DAP's lifetime advisor Dr Chen Man Hin, MP for Serdang Ong Kian Ming, state assemblymen for Bilut Chow Yu Hui and Ketari state assemblyman Lee Chin Chen for various statements made during the general election.
In a related development, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar tweeted that rumours were abuzz that the total arrest would number 27.
Malik Imtiaz meanwhile said those arrested would be held overnight in Jinjang and the police would apply for remand order tomorrow. "Remand hearing is held tomorrow at 11am. They are investigated under Penal Code and Sedition Act," said Malik Imtiaz via Twitter.
Crackdown on Pakatan dailies
Today also saw the Home Ministry conducting nationwide raids to seize copies of Harakah, Suara Keadilan and The Rocket for allegedly breaching the permit conditions.
The ministry said in a statement that it had seized 1,408 copies of Suara Keadilan, 1,062 copies of Harakah dan 70 copies of The Rocket. The ministry said the breaches included publication without permit and selling to non-members.
DAP's MP for Kluang Liew Chin Tong said that the actions undertaken by the government was chillingly reminiscent of the 1987 Ops Lalang. He added that Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's true colours have been revealed with this cracdown.
"Prime Minister Najib's post-election charade of national reconciliation is shown to be an actual nightmare of BN retaliation against its political foes," he said in a statement.
Utter hypocrisy PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad meanwhile criticised Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's administration for being "stuck to more of the same old Umno-BN policies".
"Last year, Najib has said that there will be a National Harmony Act to replace Sedition Act. Yet, yet the colonial draconian law remains.
"His talk of a national reconciliation after the recent elections also has proven to be meaningless. This is also a bad sign for the new regime of Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar," said Nik Nazmi in a press statement.
He also criticised the selective persecution of the government. "Ironically, many Umno-BN leaders and their mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia continue to fan racial remarks yet no action are taken against them while other figures who speak out for democracy are being victimised. This shows the utter hypocrisy of Najib's administration," he said.
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