Time out for Umno/BN rule

Workers Day arrests show Najib’s lack of legitimacy, says electoral watchdog

Published: 2 May 2015 1:13 PM

Several supporters drawing up posters demanding the release of those detained at Jinjang after the Workers Day rally yesterday. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, May 2, 2015.Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's administration will only face greater public wrath over the arrests of Workers Day rally protesters, which include a prominent lawyer, opposition lawmakers and 29 youths, election reform group Bersih 2.0 said today.

The arrests also showed that Najib was a leader who lacked "legitimacy" as the rally yesterday was for Malaysians to voice their protest against the goods and services tax (GST), it said.

In a strongly worded statement condemning the arrests, the electoral reform group said the detainees should be released immediately.

 

"Bersih 2.0 warns the Najib administration that it will only face greater public wrath if it chooses to persecute protesters in the May Day protest yesterday, rather than listening to the widespread anger of Malaysians against the GST.“A leader lacking legitimacy, Najib should therefore humbly accept that the May Day protest was a peaceful and orderly protest of Malaysians demanding the cancellation of GST."It is an exercise of their constitutional freedom guaranteed by Article 10(1)(a) and 1(b) of the Federal Constitution."Bersih 2.0 said that the public would not be cowed into silence, as people were angry over other issues besides the consumption tax, such as controversies surrounding 1Malaysia Development Fund (1MDB) as well as Najib's family alleged extravagant lifestyle.It reminded the Barisan Nasional administration that it was only a minority government supported by only 47% of voters – the number of popular votes the ruling coalition received in the 2013 general election.Bersih urged the public to gather at the Jinjang police remand centre as a show of support to the detainees if the police planned to detain them until Tuesday due to the long weekend holidays.It added that police had no excuse to conduct post-protest harassment and persecution of protest leaders and participants."The police is abusing their power and betraying their constitutional duty by attempting to silence and terrorise the public."The Human Rights Watch Asia Division said that the arrests showed that Malaysian authorities no longer respected democratic rights and urged other countries to take note of the crackdown on dissent."This wave of arrests should raise alarm bells among international friends of Malaysia about just how far the powers that be in Putrajaya are dragging the country off the path of democratic, rights-respecting governance," said its deputy director Phil Robertson."Expressing views and holding a peaceful, public march should not be considered a crime in Malaysia or anywhere else in the world."These arrests are nothing short of outrageous, and Human Rights Watch demands that Malaysia immediately and unconditionally release all the peaceful May Day anti-GST protesters," he said.Police began arresting protesters who were at yesterday's Workers Day rally to oppose the GST, after the end of the gathering.An estimated 10,000 people had thronged the streets of the capital for the rally which saw them marching from different points to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre.Besides the 29 participants, lawyer and activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, DAP Seremban MP Anthony Loke and Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S. Arutchelvan were arrested. Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, PAS's Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, #KitaLawan secretariat member Fariz Musa and Bersih 2.0 secretariat officer Mandeep Singh have also been summoned by the police. – May 2, 2015.

Najib have gone too far now. Stifling the citizens' voice. Let's now remove Umno/BN from running this country! And let's remove the IGP also from office. Have the police no hardcore criminals, snatch thieves, rapists, gangsters to investigate and arrest, that they are trained obsessed with political opponents and peaceful protesters. Malaysia Boleh! Nation gone to the dogs!