KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has joined rights groups in condemning a crackdown on the opposition and journalists, saying it was an attempt to derail his bid to unseat the government.
On Friday, the government extended the crackdown, arresting a lawmaker and a reporter from a Chinese language daily under the country’s draconian Internal Security Act (ISA), under which people can be imprisoned indefinitely without trial.
The government, facing a challenge from a resurgent opposition led by Anwar, also detained a prominent blogger.
It also issued warning letters to three newspapers which could result in them being banned after one reported comments from a politician from the ruling party in which he called the country’s ethnic Chinese “immigrants” and “squatters”.
Those comments sparked outrage in the country’s ethnic Chinese community, around a quarter of Malaysia’s 27 million population, and discontent in ethnic Chinese parties that are part of the Malay-dominated government.
“Invoking the ISA just days before September 16 is clearly an attempt to engineer an atmosphere of fear and instability that would justify the government’s heavy-handed tactics against those aligned with the political opposition,” Anwar said in a statement issued late on Friday.
The opposition coalition led by Anwar, a former deputy prime minister who was imprisoned on sodomy and corruption charges in the 1990s, had said it can win power by September 16 by enticing 30 MPs away from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
But Anwar’s opposition bloc has since backed off that claim after the government this week sent 50 of its MPs on a trip to Taiwan. Anwar is again facing sodomy charges, which he denies and says are politically motivated.
Malaysia’s government, which has ruled for 51 years since independence, is facing the biggest challenge to its political domination in the southeast Asian nation, where ethnic Malays dominate the political scene.
MELTING POT
The nation’s uneasy racial mix spilled over into riots in 1969. While Malays retain political power through the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the ethnic Chinese minority dominates the economy.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Malaysia should not resort to the ISA to silence government critics and political opponents.
“The Malaysian government apparently thinks it can only maintain power by jailing journalists and opposition politicians,” said Elaine Pearson, its deputy Asia director.
“Such tactics have no place in a modern democracy. The government should free these three people at once or risk irreparable harm to Malaysia’s already fragile reputation,” she said in a statement.
Local rights group the Anti-ISA Movement said the crackdown could be a repeat of the infamous “Operasi Lalang” in 1987, when the government arrested almost 120 people under the ISA.
“Is this the start of a crackdown on political dissidents … or another episode of Operasi Lalang 1987? We hope not, for the sake of the people and the country,” the group said.
Three newspapers, The Star, Watan, and Sin Chew Jit Poh, were suspended in the run-up to the 1987 crackdown.
Then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the arrests followed an escalation of racial tension, blaming the media for playing up racial issues.
His successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, on Friday defended the latest arrests, saying that they were used only when there was a threat to security and public order.
(Reporting by Jalil Hamid; Editing by Paul Tait)
I suspect that Anwar and PKR know exactly what they are doing - re 16 Sept.
The BN cabinet and apparatchik have been so consumed with their own importance and self-preservation, that they simply do not see reality (like most politicians).
Thanks to mahathir and his cronies, Anwar has had enormous tactical advantages - as well as better minds - working on real reform and strategies to bring that reform into effect.
The umno and bn flunkies are stacked up at the front door - thinking that anyone of consequence will only use the main entrance - where they can be seen and feted for tomorrows news.
PKR has a lot more panache than that - and will use their brains - not electorate funds to achieve that which was thought impossible.
Good luck and ‘may the force be with you’
this is our best chance to rebuilt Malaysia from being destroyed by UMNO. so DSAI and team has to make sure everything is moving as plan and in the right direction.
we do NOT need voilence to over throw this unfaithful Government. we as the ordinary rakyat can only pray and hope that PR will be our new Government and help Malaysia back to its feet.
good luck Malaysia.
shut down all newspaper, all the brave and professional reporters can work for MalaysiaToday, Malaysia kini, suara keadilan online and many other choises.
if we contribute rm10 every month, say with 500,000 readers, it’s coffer of rm5 million every month will be enough to pay their salaries.
we will be assured that we get true and fast reports every day.
any suggestions from you guys out there?
we will cut down the usage of papers everyday. environmental friendly.
“SAYA TANGKAP ANNUAR DAN MASUK KAN DIA DALAM PENJARA. DIA TAK SALAH APA PUN” - Tun Dr. Mahathir pernah cakap. Kali nie kita nak dengar Syed Hamid Albar pulak kata “MEREKA BERTIGA TAK SALAH APA PUN. Datuk Ahmad Yang Salah. Tapi nak tangkap kawan saya Datuk Ahmad Dalam ISA tak..bolih. Dai kawan lama saya” …hehehe.
Apa dah jadi dengan UMNO-BN nie. Takut DSAI jadi PM..mereka tangkap sapa2 saja yang di depan mata. Klu lah aku ada peluang berkuasa..aku nak Tun Mahathir dan anak2 dia, Syed Hamid Albar duduk kat penjara sungai Buluh.Biar mereka rasa, tahan tak satu malam. Aku pikir..sik dak nya tahan. Kalau aku jadi pengawauk mereka, masa tu..tentu aku jadi penting kan. Mereka2 ini akan minta aku beli KFC, MCDonald,,sebab lama tak rasa makanan cam tu. Aku akan beli untuk mereka, tapi aku makan dulu ler, sebab tu commission aku beli. Pas aku makan, minum baru mereka makan. Baru mereka tau aku ada kuasa. Sekarang tak ada kuasa…cam nak dapat makan free.
Shobhan Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Correctly said Mohzani. Everything is about power. This is the result when power is in the wrong hands. That is the reason we the rakyat should decide who should be given the power to rule. Failure or success of a nation is actually in the hands of the rakyat. WE HAVE THEREFORE DECIDED WE WANT A CHANGE FROM THE CURRENT GOVT THAT HAS BEEN ABUSING THE MANDATE.
Where is MCA & Gerakan in this matter? How you want us to believe in your party if you can’t even preserved our rights in this democratic country?
Shobhan Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Gerakan has at least shown some response, but it can do more but fears. MCA is waiting…………. God knows for what………..Actually these race based parties show very little concern for their own race fearing the rebuttal from other races. This shows that race based politics are not actually effective. When other races stand up for one another there is much truth and fairness in the application of justice. This is God’s way of telling mankind that we as human beings have to support one another. No race based politics can stand up for truth even if there is truth—the reason MCA is keeping mum. It has no support because it will definitely cause clashes between people of other races. This type of race based politics will ultimately lead to corruption and croynism. We cannot therefore blame anyone in particular for the current situation. So why have MCA, MIC, UMNO, in fact why have race based BN at all? DSAI and RPK are 100% right when they support people of all races and wish for human rights and values as the framework of their political ideology. That way true democracy and a fair judiciary can be born. This is what has been learnt from our mistakes of 51 years!
edmund Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 12:54 am
I absolutely agree with your statement.
DSAI is definitely going to go well with his ideology! He has the whole rakyat behind him as pillars of strength and support. No wonder BN is shaking at its very base of support and might topple over anytime.
Storm 62
I support your noble idea.
Can somebody starts the ball rolling?
Internet age is fantastic. I am glad that I can see the power of Internet in my last 25% of my life, statictically speaking. Otherwise the wicked will keep a lot of darkness from us.
PENIPUAN & ISU PERKAUAMAN !
UMNO MENEMPAH ‘NERAKA’ UNTUK MEREKA !
ANDA YANG MEMULAKAN KEKECOHAN, KINI ANDA MAHU MENEGAK BENANG BASAH DENGAN MENIPU KEBODOHAN ANDA. JAWAPANNYA, TIDAK SEMUA MANUSIA SEBODOH ANDA !
ANDA BERMAIN API DENGAN PERKAUMAN ! KINI, ANDA BAKAL MERASA AZABNYA KEZALIMAN YANG ANDA BELA. LIHATLAH, BETAPA TERSINGGUNGNYA PENGUNDI ANDA KERANA BIJAK YANG ANDA SANGKA. ANDA SANGKA GAME INI, JADIKAN ANDA TAMBAH POPULAR ? LIHAT, RESPON RAKAN PARTI ANDA TERHADAP GELOJOHNYA ANDA ! SEMUA AMAT JELAS DI MATA KAMI & MATA ANDA, JANGAN BERPURA-PURA JADI BUTA !
ANDA SANGKA RAKYAT SEBODOH ANDA DALAM MENILAI SITUASI SEMASA ? LIHAT, MEJORITI PERMATANG PAUH YANG ANDA UBAH ANGKA ! SIAPA BODOH SEBENARNYA YANG ANDA SANGKA ?!
ANDA BERBOHONG GAGAH PERKASANYA ANDA. TAPI LIHATLAH, HANCURNYA MUAFAKAT KERANA PERCAKARAN SESAMA ANDA. ANDA MERASA IA SEMUDAH ABC UNTUK MENIPU RAKYAT AKAN KEHEBATAN ANDA, HILANG 5 NEGERI TANDA YANG AMAT SAH, RAKYAT TAK SUKA ANDA DAN ANDA TAK BIJAK MEMBELA !
KENAPA TIPU JADI JALAN PENYELESAIAN. CELAKA NAK KAMU SELESAIKAN DENGAN KECELAKAAN, BERTAMBAH CELAKALAH BAKAL MENIMPA. TIADA KEBAIKAN DALAM SETIAP KECELAKAAN WALAU BAGAIMANAPUN ANDA SUKA !
ANDA MENDABIK DADA BAGUS DAN SENTIASA BERJASA, TETAPI ZALIM DALAM MEMELIHARA NEGARA. RAKYAT DAH MASAK DENGAN TALAM DUA MUKA ANDA. APA JADI DENGAN PERWAJA ? APA JADI DENGAN ALANTUNYA ? APA JADI BATU PUTIH KITA ? MACAM-MACAM LAGI DAAA…!
ANDA MARAH KERANA MENEGUR ANDA ? MALANGNYA ANDA, MENOLAK RAHMAT YANG KITA BAWA.
BERTAMBAH BODOHLAH ANDA JIKA TERUS BERDUSTA !
NAK SYURGA KE NAK NERAKA ?!