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Kuala Lumpur 01/08/2009: Malaysian police fired tear gas and detained about 589 people on Saturday to break up an opposition-led rally of over 20,000 people protesting against a security law that allows detention without trial.
The protest could put further pressure on Najib Razak whose popularity is under threat after the mysterious death of an opposition politician’s aide. Led by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, the crowd of mostly ethnic Malays marched outside the national mosque and at a shopping mall in the city, chanting "Allahu Akhbar" (God is Greatest) and "Down with the government".
A police helicopter circled overhead as police fired tear gas and water canons to disperse protesters who marched towards the palace to deliver a memorandum to the Malaysian ruler seeking his support to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA). All roads to the Malaysian ruler’s palace were closed. The ISA allows for detention without trial on national security grounds and some analysts say it has largely been used as a government tool to quell political dissent.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who took part in the demonstration and said he was also tear-gassed, denounced the police action as ‘unwarranted’ and said it reflected badly on new prime minister Najib Razak. ‘Najib has shattered his nice-guy image by allowing the police to act so brutally,’ he told a hastily arranged press conference.
As of 11pm Malaysian time, 589 people were detained, including 44 youths who are below 18 years old. Amongst those detained included 40 women. Kuala Lumpur CID Chief Ku Chin Wah said the 549 men and 40 women detained would be investigated under the 1967 Police Act.
"From the total, 27 are students and 20 of them were 17 years or below while the rest were from public and private Higher Learning Institutions whose ages ranged between 18 and 23," he said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar said during the protest. "We will keep on arresting until we can shut down this demonstration," he told Reuters. Police had earlier closed major roads leading into the city and mounted checks at various places to deter protesters and had warned organisers to call off the protest.
The law was used last year against a pro-opposition blogger, a journalist, and members of Hindraf, 4 Hindu rights group, which had brought over 50,000 people onto the streets demanding rights for the country’s ethnic Indian minority.
"The secrecy and unscrupulous practice that surrounds the use of the law … again exhibits the true colour of the ISA," said a joint statement on Friday by local rights group Suaram, the World Organisation Against Torture and the International Federation for Human Rights.
Najib’s approval ratings recently surged to 65 percent from 45 percent, according to a survey by independent polling outfit Merdeka Center, after introducing measures to help Malaysia win back investment. His approval rating plummeted subsequently after the death of a Chinese political secretary to a Selangor state lawmaker. The latest police brutality against peaceful protesters may see his approval rating on the down side again. Pictures by AP, AFP and Reuters
http://sjsandteam.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/malaysian-police-arrested-438-people-including-37-women/
Kuala Lumpur 01/08/2009: Malaysian police fired tear gas and detained about 589 people on Saturday to break up an opposition-led rally of over 20,000 people protesting against a security law that allows detention without trial.
The protest could put further pressure on Najib Razak whose popularity is under threat after the mysterious death of an opposition politician’s aide. Led by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, the crowd of mostly ethnic Malays marched outside the national mosque and at a shopping mall in the city, chanting "Allahu Akhbar" (God is Greatest) and "Down with the government".
A police helicopter circled overhead as police fired tear gas and water canons to disperse protesters who marched towards the palace to deliver a memorandum to the Malaysian ruler seeking his support to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA). All roads to the Malaysian ruler’s palace were closed. The ISA allows for detention without trial on national security grounds and some analysts say it has largely been used as a government tool to quell political dissent.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who took part in the demonstration and said he was also tear-gassed, denounced the police action as ‘unwarranted’ and said it reflected badly on new prime minister Najib Razak. ‘Najib has shattered his nice-guy image by allowing the police to act so brutally,’ he told a hastily arranged press conference.
As of 11pm Malaysian time, 589 people were detained, including 44 youths who are below 18 years old. Amongst those detained included 40 women. Kuala Lumpur CID Chief Ku Chin Wah said the 549 men and 40 women detained would be investigated under the 1967 Police Act.
"From the total, 27 are students and 20 of them were 17 years or below while the rest were from public and private Higher Learning Institutions whose ages ranged between 18 and 23," he said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar said during the protest. "We will keep on arresting until we can shut down this demonstration," he told Reuters. Police had earlier closed major roads leading into the city and mounted checks at various places to deter protesters and had warned organisers to call off the protest.
The law was used last year against a pro-opposition blogger, a journalist, and members of Hindraf, 4 Hindu rights group, which had brought over 50,000 people onto the streets demanding rights for the country’s ethnic Indian minority.
"The secrecy and unscrupulous practice that surrounds the use of the law … again exhibits the true colour of the ISA," said a joint statement on Friday by local rights group Suaram, the World Organisation Against Torture and the International Federation for Human Rights.
Najib’s approval ratings recently surged to 65 percent from 45 percent, according to a survey by independent polling outfit Merdeka Center, after introducing measures to help Malaysia win back investment. His approval rating plummeted subsequently after the death of a Chinese political secretary to a Selangor state lawmaker. The latest police brutality against peaceful protesters may see his approval rating on the down side again. Pictures by AP, AFP and Reuters
http://sjsandteam.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/malaysian-police-arrested-438-people-including-37-women/
