KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — The DAP demanded today that the police free four journalists from news portal The Malaysian Insider (TMI) and their publisher who were detained last night and this morning for sedition, calling their arrests harsh and politically-biased.

In a strongly-worded statement here, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng singled out Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar as the one to blame for the arrests, accusing the national police chief of practising double standards.

“Why is there no similar treatment against pro-BN press who writes lies about PR or even against me as Penang Chief Minister?

“I have won countless defamation suits against Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times and yet no Utusan or NST journalists have (sic) to suffer what TMI has to endure from the harsh tactics of the IGP,” Lim pointed out.

“Taking such harsh measures against journalists is counter-productive and will only give Malaysia another international black eye for not practicing what the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak preaches on freedom and moderation,” he added.

TMI’s editors Lionel Morais, Zulkifli Sulong and Amin Iskandar were arrested last night under the Sedition Act 1948 and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 to assist in investigations over a recent article linking the controversial hudud issue to the Conference of Rulers.

The news portal’s chief executive Jahabar Sadiq and Ho Kay Tat, the group chief executive officer (CEO) of The Edge Media Group that owns TMI, were later arrested this morning under the same laws when they went to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters to have their statements recorded.

Lim said that Khalid was blatantly practicing double-standards and selective prosecution in his arrests after having tweeted a “no tolerance” policy on sedition.

“The IGP may be proud to be called mad when he launches such arbitrary and high-handed arrests.

“There is no method in his madness except abuse of power and targeting only those who oppose his political masters, BN,” he said.

Lim said that more than 150 opposition politicians and civil society activists have been arrested under the archaic Sedition Act in recent months for various offences deemed seditious but no action has been against Umno politicians who have made similarly or even more damaging statements.

As an example, he questioned why no action was taken against Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob when the latter called for a boycott of Chinese traders for refusing to reduce prices and that the Chinese oppresses the Malays.

Similarly, he reminded the police that Umno Deputy Minister Dr Mashitah Ibrahim made an outrageous comment last year, claiming that the Chinese community in Kedah had burned the Quran in a Chinese prayer ritual when it was done by a deranged Malay Muslim male.

“Umno Permatang Pauh Division Chairman Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said had also made a false claim that the political and economic strength of the Chinese in Penang comes from illegal economic activities such as illegal gambling, prostitution and entertainment outlets. Both did not retract or apologise for their baseless attacks and no action was taken by the IGP,” said Lim.

“DAP calls for the immediate release of all those arrested, including journalists. If their reporting is wrong, they can be sued for defamation or punished with fines. To arrest and put them under remand is an exercise in excessive victimisation, harassment and hounding of journalists doing their job,” he said.

“Where is the freedom of the press when those who write negative or wrong news about the BN government is immediately punished with unnecessary and unreasonable periods of detention?.”

According to TMI lawyer Syahredzan Johan this afternoon, TMI’s Lionel, Amin and Zulkifli will be released at 7pm this evening as their remand orders were rejected by a magistrate.

It is believed that Jahabar and Ho will be detained overnight.