Follow HK, US steps and crack down on protesters, says Utusan
Umno-mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia today urged the police to continue taking firm action against opposition leaders involved in the weekly #KitaLawan protests, and advised the authorities to emulate the United States and Hong Kong in their crackdown against dissent.
The newspapers’ editors, writing under the pseudonym Awang Selamat, said the string of arrests against politicians here was praiseworthy and had sent a clear signal police would no longer tolerate public disorder.
“Awang tips his hat towards the police for starting to act firmly against the opposition leaders who are believed to be inciting (the public), including holding illegal protests,” said Awang Selamat in the weekend edition of the daily, Mingguan Malaysia, today.
“Any violation of the law and public peace should not be taken easily. Look at the firmness of the police in many countries, including the US and Hong Kong, when they handle wild demonstrations and riots. The same goes with Singapore, don’t even dream of illegal demonstrations.”
However, both Hong Kong and the US have courted international criticism for their handling of demonstrations and have been accused of police brutality, namely during Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protest and the riot in Ferguson last year.
Malaysia, too, has been condemned by foreign governments in recent weeks after arresting and remanding a large number of protesters in the wake of the #KitaLawan rallies.
Despite this, Awang Selamat said police in Malaysia should do more than simply peacefully observe the demonstrations here, adding that protesters would otherwise take advantage of their leniency.
“The arrest of PKR’s Nurul Izzah (Anwar), Rafizi Ramli, and the latest, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu yesterday under the Sedition Act, is a clear message. This is the time to act before it is too late.
“Awang hopes the police are no longer merely bound by the strategy of observing demonstrators, who are apparently taking advantage of it by repeating their actions freely. They must be arrested and charged.”
He said the #KitaLawan protests jeopardised public order, ruined the country’s image, were a nuisance to business and tourists, and gave the impression that Putrajaya cared more for the organisers than the rights and interests of the majority.
Police arrested Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad early today in what has become a familiar pattern of detaining opposition leaders and activists after the #KitaLawan political rallies
Yesterday, #KitaLawan secretariat member Fariz Musa became the first person arrested after the rally ended peacefully, reportedly under the Sedition Act. He was brought to the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters. – March 29, 2015.
