KUALA LUMPUR, March 17—The US State Department today expressed “deep concern” over Malaysia’s arrest of opposition lawmaker Nurul Izzah Anwar, saying it sent worrying signals over the country’s liberties and rule of law.

In a three-paragraph statement issued by its embassy here, the department responsible for the US’ foreign relations urged Malaysia to take measures to ensure that rule of law is applied fairly, transparently, and apolitically to build confidence in the country’s democracy, judiciary, and economy.

“The Malaysian government’s recent investigations and charges of sedition against critics raise serious concerns about freedom of expression, rule of law, and the independence of the judicial system in Malaysia.

“To further restrict freedom of expression will only lead to further erosion of important pillars of Malaysia’s democratic system,” read the statement.

Nurul Izzah was detained yesterday after going voluntarily to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters to record her statement on two separate probes – one on her involvement in the #KitaLawan rally two weeks ago and one on her parliamentary speech for her father, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday that Nurul Izzah was arrested under the Sedition Act 1948 for making “contemptuous remarks that those in the judiciary system had sold their souls to the devil”.

Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers have savaged the arrest as unconstitutional and in contempt of Parliament, noting that questioning the judiciary did not come under the ambit of exceptions that would make a parliamentarian criminally liable for remarks said in the lower house.

Lawmakers are granted immunity for speech and actions as part of parliamentary proceedings by Article 63(2) of the Federal Constitution, but this is subject to exceptions listed under Article 63(4) that include questioning the national language, Bumiputera quotas, and the Malay rulers.

The US previously also issued a statement expressing “deep disappointment” with the decision to convict and jail Anwar for sodomy, adding that it will press Putrajaya to honour the rule of law here.