Malaysia police 'targeting' opposition in protest crackdown
Updated
Malaysia's opposition says it's being targeted by police after the biggest public demonstration in Kuala Lumpur in two years - with up to 15,000 demonstrators taking to Kuala Lumpur's streets, calling for an end to a law that allows detention without trial. Hundreds were arrested. They included opposition MP Sivarasa Rasiah, who is a senior lawyer defending opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim against sodomy charges.
Presenter: Corinne Podger
Speakers: Lim Chee Wee, vice president, Malaysian Bar Council; Kamarrudin Jafar, member of parliament, opposition PAS party
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PODGER: Police used water cannon and teargas to disperse up to 10,000 demonstrators after they blocked Kuala Lumpur's main roads for several hours on Saturday. Leading the protest was opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and those arrested included a senior member of his defence team, Sivarasa Rasiah. The vice president of the Malaysian Bar Council, Lim Chee Wee, was there and says police appeared to be trying to arrest Mr Anwar himself.
LIM CHEE WEE: I understand they were trying to get to him at the opposition party headquarters, but they failed because apparently there were something like 2,000 protesters who stopped the police from going in.
PODGER: That's a view shared by opposition PAS MP, Kamarrudin Jaffar.
KAMARRUDIN JAFAR: I am pretty sure the intention of the government through the police was to arrest the very top leaders of the demonstration.
PODGER: The biggest demonstration in Kuala Lumpur in two years went ahead despite unequivocal laws against public meetings. Mr Lim says many Malaysians aren't interested in Najib Razak's promise to review the Internal Security Act. He says the Bar Council wants it abolished.
LIM CHEE WEE: I think there is a breakdown of trust. From history, we have seen that the ISA, our Internal Security Act, has been used for political purposes, other than the original purpose of countering terrorism or communists in the 60s. And there's sufficient provisions in the other pieces of legislation to counter terrorism. And we see no reason why the Act should be reviewed, as opposed to being abolished.
PODGER: While protest organisers say the plan on Saturday was for a peaceful demonstration... Kamarrudin Jaffar says the decision to send police in armed with teargas and water cannons may backfire on Najib Razak's government.
KAMARRUDIN JAFAR: As practiced in most democratic countries, the government could just have allowed it and not break it up violently on ladies, on children, who happen to be in the vicinity of the city, and let it go. Had the police allowed and helped the movement of thousands, things would not have been done any disruption to whatever would happen on a Saturday in Kuala Lumpur.
PODGER: Mr Anwar's trial on charges of sodomy has been delayed until later this month and he's now left Malaysia on a prearranged speaking tour. Meantime, opposition supporters say more protests against the Internal Security Act are in the pipeline.
KAMARRUDIN JAFAR: I understand that the leadership of the anti-ISA movement and the NGOs are considering to organise more protests and demonstrations, as long as the ISA is still around.
