KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 ― The US State Department has highlighted a number of alleged abuses in Malaysia as incidents of concern in its annual report on human rights, including, among others, gags by Putrajaya on freedom of religion and expression, as well as the jailing of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The report available online said restrictions on freedom of religion were a significant concern in Malaysia, noting the bans here on some religious groups, restrictions on alleged proselytisation, and prohibitions on the freedom to change one’s religion.

Other human rights problems it highlighted included deaths during police apprehension and while in police custody, laws allowing detention without trial, official corruption, and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons.

“Longstanding government policies gave preferences to ethnic Malays in many areas. The government arrested and prosecuted some officials engaged in corruption, malfeasance, and human rights abuses, although civil society groups alleged impunity continued,” said the 39-page report.

The report said the most significant human rights issues were government restrictions on basic freedoms ― including freedom of speech, assembly, association, and media ― and the ensuing sedition investigations as a way of retaliating against dissenters who dared to criticise the government.

“The government restricted freedom of expression and intimidated journalists and the public into practicing self-censorship. Government representatives cited upholding Islam and the special position of ethnic Malays, protection of national security, public order, and friendly relations with other countries as reasons for restricting the media,” said the report.

The report acknowledged that the colonial-era Sedition Act has been used to punish opposition leaders and supporters for their remarks in cases often unrelated to the law although the same treatment is not given to pro-government individuals.

The report cited as example PKR’s Chua Tian Chang who was charged for suggesting that separatist violence in Sabah state was part of an Umno conspiracy, and DAP’s Teresa Kok who was charged over a satirical Chinese New Year video that allegedly insulted Muslims and the government, among others.

The law has also been used increasingly to prosecute dissenting views online, the report noted. For example ― a 17-year-old student was pursued for clicking the “Like” button on a Facebook page entitled “We Love Israel.”

“Despite promising to repeal the colonial-era law prohibiting sedition in 2012, Prime Minister Najib Razak’s administration charged at least 12 elected opposition leaders and other government critics with sedition and publicly announced they were investigating at least 10 more, especially in the second half of the year.

“Prime Minister Najib officially dropped his pledge to repeal the sedition law in a November 27 speech. Instead, he announced plans to retain the law and expand it to cover statements denigrating Islam or other religions, and statements supporting the secession in the East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak,” it said.

The report also pointed out the use of the justice system for political gains, noting the persecution of Anwar for sodomy in the Court of Appeal in a hasty decision that saw him disqualified from running in a by-election.

“The entire procedure was unusually speedy, with the verdict delivered just before the nomination day for a by-election Anwar was slated to contest, thereby disqualifying him,” the report said.

The report said providing ethnic Malays and other indigenous groups, a “special position” through  extensive preferential programs designed to boost the economic position of the Bumiputera has has only widened economic disparity in the country.

“Such programmes limited opportunities for non-Bumiputera in higher education and government employment. Many industries were subject to race-based requirements that mandated bumiputra ownership levels; government procurement and licensing policies favor Bumiputera-owned businesses.

“Despite the government’s stated goal of poverty alleviation, these race-based policies were not subject to upper income limitations and contributed to a widening economic disparity within the bumiputra community.

 “Ethnic Indian citizens, who similar to ethnic Chinese citizens, do not receive such privileges, remained among the country’s poorest groups,” said the report.

The report, produced by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour also said that were several “irregularities” and gerrymandered districts which favored the ruling coalition and affected fairness of elections.

For instance, the overrepresentation of rural votes in the 2013 election saw the government win 133 of 222 seats, it said, although opposition parties won 52 per cent of the popular vote but failed to gain a majority in parliament.