Malaysia frees journalist
1:10 AM
Posted: Sunday, September 14, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- A Malaysian journalist detained in an apparent government crackdown using a tough security law was freed Saturday, but an opposition lawmaker and another journalist remained under arrest, officials said.
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar defended the trio's seizure Friday under the Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial. He said it was necessary to prevent racial conflicts and denied it was to thwart opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's bid to seize power by Sept. 16.
"There is no logic at all for it to be related to Sept. 16. The current arrests have to do with public order being in jeopardy, security being threatened, so we have to take preventive measures," he told reporters.
Rights groups, lawyers and politicians have condemned the arrests, which sparked fears of a major crackdown on dissent.
Anwar accused Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government of trying to "engineer an atmosphere of fear and instability" to avert his bid to seize power.
"Instead of pursuing a reform agenda, it has chosen to burn the country to save itself and to maintain its odious grip on power," he said in a statement.
But Syed Hamid said police had "strong and good reasons to believe racial conflicts" could occur, and that there were no plans for further arrests.
"We have acted within the law. The most important thing is to safeguard the interest of the majority," he said.
Syed Hamid said reporter Tan Hoon Cheng from the Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew was released Saturday after being questioned by police.
Tan was detained after reporting comments by a Malay Muslim ruling party politician last month who described the ethnic Chinese minority as "squatters" and accused them of hungering for power.
The comments sparked outrage nationwide, and the politician was suspended by Abdullah's party. Syed Hamid said police didn't take action against the politician because he has already been punished by the party.
Syed Hamid said blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin, a well-known anti-government activist, was detained for continuing to publish articles on his Web site that created racial tension despite numerous warnings.
Opposition lawmaker Teresa Kok was held because she allegedly complained about the noise of morning prayers from a mosque in her electorate, a sensitive issue which harms race relations, he said.
New York-based Human Rights Watch called for the immediate release of the detainees.
"The Malaysian government apparently thinks it can only maintain power by jailing journalists and opposition politicians. Such tactics have no place in a modern democracy," Elaine Pearson, its deputy Asia director, said in a statement.
The developments underscored an increasing sense of political insecurity in the multiracial country that has long been considered one of Southeast Asia's most stable territories.
Abdullah has promised to hand power to his deputy, Najib Razak, in mid-2010 but is battling growing demands from dissidents in his own party to resign earlier.
His National Front coalition lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority in March elections. Anwar has said he will oust the government with parliamentary defections this month. He needs at least 30 government lawmakers on his side to take over.
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar defended the trio's seizure Friday under the Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial. He said it was necessary to prevent racial conflicts and denied it was to thwart opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's bid to seize power by Sept. 16.
"There is no logic at all for it to be related to Sept. 16. The current arrests have to do with public order being in jeopardy, security being threatened, so we have to take preventive measures," he told reporters.
Rights groups, lawyers and politicians have condemned the arrests, which sparked fears of a major crackdown on dissent.
Anwar accused Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government of trying to "engineer an atmosphere of fear and instability" to avert his bid to seize power.
"Instead of pursuing a reform agenda, it has chosen to burn the country to save itself and to maintain its odious grip on power," he said in a statement.
But Syed Hamid said police had "strong and good reasons to believe racial conflicts" could occur, and that there were no plans for further arrests.
"We have acted within the law. The most important thing is to safeguard the interest of the majority," he said.
Syed Hamid said reporter Tan Hoon Cheng from the Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew was released Saturday after being questioned by police.
Tan was detained after reporting comments by a Malay Muslim ruling party politician last month who described the ethnic Chinese minority as "squatters" and accused them of hungering for power.
The comments sparked outrage nationwide, and the politician was suspended by Abdullah's party. Syed Hamid said police didn't take action against the politician because he has already been punished by the party.
Syed Hamid said blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin, a well-known anti-government activist, was detained for continuing to publish articles on his Web site that created racial tension despite numerous warnings.
Opposition lawmaker Teresa Kok was held because she allegedly complained about the noise of morning prayers from a mosque in her electorate, a sensitive issue which harms race relations, he said.
New York-based Human Rights Watch called for the immediate release of the detainees.
"The Malaysian government apparently thinks it can only maintain power by jailing journalists and opposition politicians. Such tactics have no place in a modern democracy," Elaine Pearson, its deputy Asia director, said in a statement.
The developments underscored an increasing sense of political insecurity in the multiracial country that has long been considered one of Southeast Asia's most stable territories.
Abdullah has promised to hand power to his deputy, Najib Razak, in mid-2010 but is battling growing demands from dissidents in his own party to resign earlier.
His National Front coalition lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority in March elections. Anwar has said he will oust the government with parliamentary defections this month. He needs at least 30 government lawmakers on his side to take over.
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