Post Umno Assembly: A Return To Authoritarian Repression
We fear that part of the effort to distract attention from the controversies surrounding his person, Najib may reenact the strategies of Mahathir Mohammad, and embark on a massive campaign of arrests and detentions without trial of prominent Pakatan Rakyat leaders within days of his swearing in.
By Tian Chua, Suara Keadilan
Malaysians view with great shock the signals that the incoming Najib Razak administration is giving to the general populace as he prepares to assume power.
The harsh clampdown on media freedoms and the right to assemble this last week alone suggest that severe repressive measures may be the hallmark of Najib’s ascendancy to the premiereship.
His comparison of our current situation to the post 1969 era foreshadows a return to the policies of both Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, and his father Tun Abdul Razak who imposed Emergency rule on Malaysia.
Hishamuddin Hussein specifically targeted Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in his speech, demonising him and making veiled allusions to entrapment and imprisonment, seemingly laying the ground for a wave of mass arrests such as was seen in Operasi Lalang.
This last week the newspapers of two opposition political parties were suspended without any plausible reason by the Home Ministry – a move which undoubtedly smacks of an intention to silence the legitimate voices of Malaysians who do not see eye to eye with the powers that be.
On a more visceral level, the heavy handed actions of the police in breaking up to Pakatan Rakyat political rallies in Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang have shown that Najib is perfectly willing to cause grevious physical harm to Malaysian citizens merely to ensure that they do not get the opportunity to hear opposing views and decide the truth for themselves.
Distracting attention from Altantuya
International media reports have increasingly put Najib in a bad light, raising burning and as of yet unanswered questions about his involvement in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya as well as the connected payment of hundreds of millions of dollars in commissions for shady arms deals.
It is shameful that the designated Prime Minister of Malaysia would have to face such scandals in the eyes of the international community.
We fear that part of the effort to distract attention from the controversies surrounding his person, Najib may reenact the strategies of Mahathir Mohammad, and embark on a massive campaign of arrests and detentions without trial of prominent Pakatan Rakyat leaders within days of his swearing in.
KEADILAN and Pakatan Rakyat reaffirm their commitment to resist and speak out against any and all attempts to suspend civil liberties and pursue courses of action that run counter to the spirit and letter of the law.
We will do everything in our power to ensure that the integrity and well being of the Malaysian people, our Constitution as well as truth and justice are vigorously safeguarded, to be delivered safely to generations to come.
[Tian Chua is a Pakatan Rakyat leader and MP for Batu. He is also information chief of KeADILan.]
