SUBANG JAYA, Aug 2 — DAP’s Lim Guan Eng today condemned the arrests of 29 participants at the #TangkapNajib rally, saying the crackdown on dissenters was proof that Malaysia is no longer a peaceful nation,

The Penang chief minister who was speaking at a press conference here also said that the police action on the protesters would represent yet another stain on the country’s human rights record.

“Malaysia is in the threshold of darkness, not just in terms of economy but also on human rights,” Lim said.

“We have a Peaceful Assembly Act, but there is no peace.”

The authorities reportedly arrested 30 participants in the rally yesterday, including three opposition lawmakers.

The Demi Malaysia youth group that organised the #TangkapNajib rally has insisted, however, that the event had been lawful despite the authorities previously claiming otherwise.

The detainees will be investigated under Section 124 and Section 143 of the Penal Code, which covers unlawful assemblies and activities that threaten parliamentary democracy respectively.

Earlier today, eight of the 30 nabbed were released when their remand applications were rejected by a Magistrate’s Court.

A total of 21 participants will be released tomorrow while the last individual will be released Tuesday.