Anwar Ibrahim |
- Malaysian authorities crack down on opposition activists
- BN to face angrier Malaysians with continued crackdown, warns Ambiga
- Malaysia charges student activist with sedition
- Penangkapan Pimpinan Politik Dan NGO: Zahid Perlu Segera Hentikan Kegilaan Ini
- Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysia Harus Belajar Demokrasi ke Indonesia
| Malaysian authorities crack down on opposition activists Posted: 23 May 2013 04:45 AM PDT After controversial re-election by National Front coalition, three anti-government figures arrested and activist student charged
Malaysian authorities have detained three anti-government figures, charged a student activist with sedition and seized hundreds of opposition newspapers, raising political tensions after recent national elections triggered claims of fraud. Opposition activists have staged numerous peaceful demonstrations since the 5 May general election won by the National Front coalition with a weakened parliamentary majority. The activists insist the coalition, which has governed since 1957, retained power through bogus ballots and other irregularities, though the prime minister, Najib Razak, and electoral authorities deny manipulating the results. The latest arrests involve Tian Chua, a senior official in the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s People’s Justice party; Haris Ibrahim, a rights activist who leads an anti-government group; and Tamrin Ghafar, an opposition party member. The men have criticised the National Front at recent political gatherings. Chua wrote on Twitter that police detained him at an airport and told him he was being held for sedition. Ibrahim and Tamrin were held separately, but it was not immediately clear for what they were being investigated. Police officials responsible for their case could not immediately be contacted. After his arrest, Chua tweeted that Malaysians should not allow themselves to be “overtaken by fear [but should] continue to assemble peacefully and have faith”. Their arrests occurred hours after prosecutors charged the student Adam Adli, 24, with making seditious statements that included calling for people to “go down to the streets to seize back our power” while addressing a political forum. He pleaded innocent at a Kuala Lumpur district court on Thursday and was released on bail before a hearing set for 2 July. Sedition as defined by Malaysian law includes promoting hatred against the government. Rights activists have long criticised Malaysia‘s anti-sedition law as a tool to curb democratic dissent. Najib said last year the government planned to eventually abolish the Sedition Act, which was introduced in 1949 during British colonial rule, and replace it with new laws that would strike a better balance between allowing freedom of speech and ensuring public stability. Adli, who was arrested last weekend, faces three years in prison and a fine if convicted. Hundreds of people have demonstrated peacefully in recent days against Adli’s arrest. Adli became publicly known in 2011 when he brought down a flag bearing Najib’s portrait at the ruling party’s headquarters during a demonstration. He was subsequently suspended for three semesters from his teaching course at a Malaysian state-backed university. The home ministry said it had seized more than 2,500 copies of newspapers published by opposition parties from stores nationwide since Wednesday. The government-issued publication licences for those newspapers specify they should be distributed among party members only and are not for retail sales, the ministry said in a statement. | ||
| BN to face angrier Malaysians with continued crackdown, warns Ambiga Posted: 23 May 2013 03:54 AM PDT "National reconciliation? To me, they only know how to use words that they do not even understand. My own view is that they have no moral standing to claim of efforts for national reconciliation or to be more liberal… not after all these arrests" Putrajaya will only face more wrath from right-thinking Malaysians if it continues its nationwide crackdown on opposition supporters, Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan said today. The civil rights activist and renowned lawyer said the sudden series of arrests and court charges exposes the new government's true face and intentions, which contradicts its earlier promise for national reconciliation. "It reflects very badly on the new government. Let them never again try to use the word liberal," she told The Malaysian Insider over the phone this afternoon.  "National reconciliation? To me, they only know how to use words that they do not even understand. "My own view is that they have no moral standing to claim of efforts for national reconciliation or to be more liberal… not after all these arrests," she added. Ambiga was speaking to this news portal during her wait at the Jinjang police station where PKR and PAS MPs Chua Tian Chang and Tamrin Ghafar, as well as Anything But Umno (ABU) chief Haris Ibrahim, were brought to after they were arrested separately this afternoon. Earlier this morning, Ambiga, who is also the co-chairman of Bersih 2.0, a coalition of NGOs fighting for a free and fair electoral system, accompanied student activist Adam Adli to the Sessions Court where the youth was charged with sedition for allegedly attempting to topple the Barisan Nasional (BN) government through street protests. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders, activists and opposition supporters nationwide have been protesting the results of the just-concluded May 5 polls, which saw BN returned to federal power despite earning only a minority of the total number of votes cast. Due to the uneven dispersal of votes in numerous constituencies across Malaysia, which the opposition have labelled unfair gerrymandering, BN emerged victors with just under 48 per cent of the popular vote to PR's 51 per cent by snapping up 133 federal seats or 60 per cent of the 222 seats contested. Adam, who first shot to fame in 2011 after a similar run-in with the authorities, was hauled in when he told a May 13 forum shortly after the polls that the only way to topple the BN government was not through elections but street protests. Chua, Haris and Tamrin were also speakers at the same forum and their arrests today are believed to be due to their involvement in the event. Ambiga said, however, that the authorities did not need to resort to arresting the leaders if they had merely wanted to rope them in for questioning on the event. "I was told they have a list of names… I am sure these leaders would have been happy to come in and give statements. "But arresting them… it is shocking, oppressive and to me, wholly unacceptable in a democracy. I view this as an abuse of powers," she said. She pointed out that leaders like Chua were MPs and were unlikely to evade being hauled up for questioning. "This is just telling, isn't it? It just exposes what they (the government) truly are. Their conducts before the elections were so different. What does that tell you? "It tells you that they were just holding back before this. Fine. Let them do what they feel they have to do. "But this would only serve to anger the people," she warned. Earlier today, it was reported that over 1,000 copies of PAS-owned Malay newspaper Harakah were carted off by Home Ministry officials from shops and several distribution centres in a nationwide raid. "Ya, Harakah was seized at several places this morning," the paper's editor, Zulkifli Sulong, told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. The seized copies were of the paper's Friday edition dated May 24-26 carrying the front page headline "GST hadiah BN untuk rakyat [GST BN's gift to the people]". Its online edition had earlier reported Harakah's marketing manager Ahmad Faisal Tawang saying he had received phone calls this morning from several distributors who informed him that the home ministry's officials were carrying out a sting to seize copies of the newspaper. Home ministry officials had grabbed the paper from not only from the distribution centres but from shops and even from the back of lorries as they arrived at the distribution centres. In Malacca, Harakah reported more than 500 copies seized, while in Alor Setar, Kedah, as many as 1,000 copies were taken. "In Seremban, Negri Sembilan, the distribution centres were also raided by KDN," Ahmad Faisal was quoted saying, using the Malay initials for the home ministry, adding,"But in Kedah, the KDN did not show their enforcement cards and letter from KDN before acting. Yesterday, the police arrested 18, including four women, at a candlelight vigil held for Adam outside the the Jinjang police station here. They have since been released. Media reports say some 1,000 had gathered outside the police station, which was under tight security in anticipation of a continued night vigil since Adam Adli's detention on Saturday. Newly-minted Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who took over the post from Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein in the Najib administration's new Cabinet, was reported by Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia last weekend as saying that the government would take stern action against those who intended to foment chaos on the streets. Both Ahmad Zahid and the new Inspector-General of Police had been chided by opposition politicians "playing politics" instead of working to curb crime in the wake up the May 5 polls. | ||
| Malaysia charges student activist with sedition Posted: 23 May 2013 03:51 AM PDT A Malaysian student has been charged with sedition and three opposition figures have also been detained amid tensions after the 5 May polls. Student Adam Adli was charged over his call for protests against alleged election fraud. The other three men, politicians and activists, were also detained under the Sedition Act, reports said. The ruling coalition secured a simple majority in the polls – the closest since Malaysia’s independence in 1957. It was the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition’s worst election result ever, securing just 46.6% of the popular vote. The government said that the elections were free and fair, but the Anwar Ibrahim-led opposition said the results were marred by fraud, alleging multiple irregularities. The opposition have held several rallies around the country to protest, drawing crowds. ‘Stifling dissent’ Mr Adli was arrested after he reportedly told members of a public forum to “go down to the streets to seize back our power”, AP news agency reported. He pleaded not guilty to the charge at a Kuala Lumpur court, and was released on bail on Thursday. If found guilty, he faces up to three years in jail. Senior opposition politician Tian Chua, and opposition activists Haris Ibrahim and Tamrin Ghafar have also been arrested. Police chief Mohamed Salleh confirmed that they were detained for offences under the Sedition Act, Reuters news agency reported. On his Twitter feed, Tian Chua said he was arrested as he was about to board a flight. He urged Malaysians not to be “overtaken by fear”, but to “continue to assemble peacefully & have faith”. There are also reports of police raiding newspaper offices and seizing opposition newspapers. Activists have argued that Malaysia’s sedition law is used to stifle dissent. “The [sedition] law is open to abuse,” Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, Mr Adli’s lawyer, told AFP news agency. “It’s an infringement to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.” In a statement on Wednesday, human rights group Amnesty International called for Mr Adli’s “unconditional release” and said that the Sedition Act “has been implemented over the years to repress political dissent”. Prime Minister Najib Razak said in July 2012 that the government would seek to repeal Malaysia’s sedition law, replacing it with a National Harmony Act. However, the law is currently still in force. | ||
| Penangkapan Pimpinan Politik Dan NGO: Zahid Perlu Segera Hentikan Kegilaan Ini Posted: 23 May 2013 01:24 AM PDT Kenyataan Akhbar Untuk Hebahan Segera Angkatan Muda Keadilan Selangor 23 Mei 2013 Penangkapan Pimpinan Politik Dan NGO: Zahid Perlu Segera Hentikan Kegilaan Ini AMK Selangor menyelar tindakan rakus Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yang sejak memegang jawatan, berterusan menggunakan kuasa sewenangnya bagi menutup mulut rakyat dan menghentikan penentangan terhadap penipuan pilihanraya yang lalu. Pembebasan Adam Adli melalui ikat jamin, tidak mencerminkan apa-apa apabila Yb Tian Chua, Sdr Haris Ibrahim dan Dato’ Thamrin Ghafar ditahan beberapa jam yang lalu. Tindakan Zahid ini dilihat sebagai penuh kegilaan, mengancam dan menyekat kebebasan majoriti rakyat yang mula bangkit untuk mempersoalkan kerajaan Barisan Nasional serta SPR diatas beberapa penipuan jelas bagi rejim pemerintah mengekalkan kuasa dalam pilihanraya paling kotor dalam sejarah. AMK Selangor bertegas sebarang bentuk penentangan, dan kebangkitan yang berlaku sejak 5 Mei 2013, bukanlah berpaksi kepada kekecewaan dan tidak menerima kekalahan tetapi adalah satu manifestasi persoalan tentang beberapa bentuk salahlaku serta penipuan pilihanraya. Rakyat sebagai penentu masa depan negara, berhak mengetahui keadaan sebenar beserta punca serta menggesa tindakan pantas kerajaan untuk menjelaskan perkara ini. Sebaliknya, Barisan Nasional tergesa-gesa menubuhkan kerajaan sebelum sebarang penjelasan diberikan dan inilah tindakan yang mendatangkan keraguan dan kekecewaan besar kepada rakyat terbanyak. AMK Selangor menyeru pembebasan segera mereka ini yang lebih bersifat tahanan politik, dan sewajarnya Polis Diraja Malaysia dan Kementerian Dalam Negeri menjamin hak tahanan dan tidak memperlakukan mereka seperti pesalah, selagi mereka tidak dibuktikan bersalah oleh mahkamah. Justeru, AMK Selangor menyeru rakyat tidak tunduk dan takut untuk mempersoalkan apa juga keraguan berkaitan dengan proses tatakelola negara, dan sebarang usaha keras oleh Zahid Hamidi dan Kementerian Dalam Negeri serta PDRM hanyalah satu usaha terdesak dan terakhir untuk mengekang kebangkitan rakyat ini.Semangat perjuangan rakyat, baru sahaja dinyalakan. AZMIZAM ZAMAN HURI Ketua AMK Selangor Naib Ketua AMK Malaysia | ||
| Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysia Harus Belajar Demokrasi ke Indonesia Posted: 22 May 2013 09:01 PM PDT Anwar menuduh pemerintah telah mencurangi hasil penghitungan suara.
Pemimpin kelompok oposisi Pakatan Rakyat Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, mengatakan Malaysia masih harus belajar kepada Indonesia soal demokrasi dan pemilu. Berbicara pada VIVAnews pekan lalu, Anwar mengatakan bahwa institusi demokrasi di Indonesia lebih maju sehingga bisa menyelenggarakan pemilu yang bebas dan tanpa ada campur tangan pemerintah. Dia mengatakan, calon presiden di Indonesia yang diusung dari berbagai partai politik dapat berdebat dalam forum terbuka. “Sementara di Malaysia, saya dan PM Najib saat ingin berdebat langsung tidak diterima,” ujarnya. Tetapi Anwar tidak yakin para pemangku kepentingan Malaysia saat ini ingin benar-benar belajar mengenai demokrasi dari Indonesia. Dia berpendapat pimpinan Organisasi Nasional Malaysia Bersatu (UMNO) terlalu arogan untuk mengakui Indonesia lebih unggul dalam hal perkembangan demokrasi. “Bagi mereka Indonesia itu cuma soal TKI saja. Mereka seharusnya memiliki sikap yang lebih realistis menerima kenyataan bahwa Indonesia dari sudut pandang memantapkan demokrasi dan pengurusan pemilu yang jujur dan adil harus dipelajari pengalamannya,” kata Anwar. Anwar juga mengecam pemilu tersebut yang menurut mereka telah dicurangi. Anwar mengatakan, dalam penghitungan komisi pemilihan umum Malaysia, seharusnya pihaknya yang menang. Wawancara lengkap Anwar bisa dilihat di tautan ini. |
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