APSN | Release 11 individuals arrested during candlelight vigil

Home > South-East Asia >> Malaysia

Malaysia: Release 11 individuals arrested during candlelight vigil

SUARAM (Suara Rakyat Malaysia) Urgent Appeal - May 19, 2009 (see sample letter below)

The police have arrested 11 individuals including two elected representatives at a candlelight vigil held outside DAP MP Teresa Kok’s office to mourn the death of democracy of Perak crisis.

The 11 individuals were arrested around 8.20pm and were taken to IPD Brickfields. This is an indication of the authority’s continual intolerance to peaceful assembly continued even after the arrests of 119 people in relation to the Perak political situation between 5th to 7th May 2009

Those arrested (7 men and 4 women) includes:

1. Jenice Lee (Teratai state assemblyperson)
2. Teo Nie Ching (Serdang Member of Parliament)
3. Lam Kah Hon
4. Alax L. C. Ling
5. Koh Weng Ken
6. Chua Yew Choong
7. Lim Jen Yow
8. Tan Hak Lian
9. Fong Kok Leong

SUARAM condemns the police for their ongoing attacks and intimidation on freedom of expression and right to assembly, fundamental rights which are guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

We demand the police to release the 11 individuals immediately and unconditionally. We also demand that police stop harassing the Malaysian people from exercising their rights to assembly and stop the assault on freedom of expression.

Released by, Wong Chai Yi
Coordinator

Urgent action needed:

Please write protest letters to the government and the police to express your strongest condemnation of the arrests and the ongoing denial of rights of expression. Please also demand the Malaysian government for the immediate and unconditional release the three activists.

Your protest letters should be sent to:

1. OCPD ACP Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Talib

IPD Brickfields
Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Brickfields
Polis Diraja Malaysia
Jalan Tun Sambanthan
50470 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-22742222
Fax: 03-22730885

2. Inspector-General of Police

Tan Sri Musa Hassan
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia,
50560 Bukit Aman,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +603 2262 6015
Fax: +603 2272 5613

3. Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak,

Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Prime Minister's Office,
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62502 Putrajaya, MALAYSIA
Tel: 603-8888 8000
Fax: 603-8888 3444
E-Mail: ppm@pmo.gov. my

Sample letter

[Letterhead of your organization]

Prime Minister,

Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak,

Prime Minister's Office,
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62502 Putrajaya, MALAYSIA
Tel: 603-8888 8000
Fax: 603-8888 3444

E-Mail: ppm@pmo.gov. my

Dear Sir,

Re: Release 11 Individuals Arrested During A Candlelight Vigil

We are writing to you, once again, to express our outrage and our strongest condemnation over your government’s ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression.

We are appalled by your government and the police’s latest actions and view this as yet another attempt by your government to intimidate Malaysian citizens from exercising their freedom to express their views.

We demand that the 11 individuals should be released immediately and unconditionally. We further demand that your government stops the assault on freedom of expression.

We strongly urge you, once again, to stop bringing shame to Malaysia. We would like to remind you that freedom of expression and assembly is guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

Yours sincerely,

[Name]