APSN | Opposition figures detained in Malaysia

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Opposition figures detained in Malaysia

Sydney Morning Herald - May 24, 2013

Malaysian charged with sedition, three more arrested - Associated Press. May 23, 2013
Sedition clamp down widens - Free Malaysia Today. May 23, 2013
Vast rally against Malaysian poll fraud defies police - Sydney Morning Herald. May 9, 2013
Malaysia moves to post-election crackdown - Sydney Morning Herald. May 8, 2013
Malaysian elections expose worrying social schisms - Associated Press. May 7, 2013

Lindsay Murdoch, Bangkok – Political tensions are rising in Malaysia again as government agencies crackdown on opposition opponents and the media following fiercely contested national elections earlier this month.

Police have arrested three opposition politicians and activists and charged another with sedition, a draconian colonial-era law that prime minister Najib Razak has promised to abolish.

Police also raided the offices of three opposition newspapers and seized hundreds of copies for suspected infringement of regulations. Conservatives in Mr Najib's United Malays National Organisation, the main ruling party, have urged the prime minister to crackdown on dissent amid a possible challenge to his leadership within months.

Opposition parties have staged several large protest rallies against the result of the May 5 election where the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power since independence from Britain in 1957, won 60 percent of seats despite securing only 47 percent of the vote.

The opposition claimed widespread cheating, which the government denies.

Malaysia also has a gerrymandered electoral system that favours majority Malay Muslims in rural seats who mainly support Barisan. Police arrested leading opposition MP Tian Chua late on Thursday as he was about to board a flight at Kuala Lumpur's budget terminal.

Mr Chua, a leading figure in the party of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, said in a Twitter message that Malaysians "should not be over taken by fear" and protesters should "continue to assemble peacefully and have faith."

Another protest rally is planned for this weekend.

Also arrested and charged with Sedition was Adam Adli, 24, a student activist who was reported as saying people should not wait another five years to overthrow the government. He pleaded not guilty in a court and was released on bail until a July 2 hearing.

Parti-Islam Se-Malaysia member Tamrin Gaffar and Anything But UMNO leader Haris Ibrahim were also arrested for offences under the Sedition Act which carry three year jail sentences and fines.

Mr Najib has repealed several colonial-era security laws in response to growing demands for more freedoms but has left the Sedition Act in place despite a promise to abolish it.

Human rights group Amnesty International urged Malaysia to remove the sedition law, saying it is vague and deters free speech."It opposes a chilling effect on free expression in violation of Malaysia's constitution and international legal obligations," the London-based group said.

Malaysia's Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told reporters he was sure police have strong evidence against those arrested but denied the government orchestrated a crackdown on its opponents.

A Malaysian government spokesman said the arrests were a matter for the police who were upholding the law.

"The detentions came after the police received numerous reports against the defendants by members of the public," spokesman said. "In such circumstances, the police are required to investigate and are following due and proper process."

Mr Anwar, a 65 year-old former student firebrand and deputy prime minister, has retreated from a plan to retire from politics if the opposition did not win the election as protest rallies draw large crowds across the country. (with agencies)