GEORGE TOWN, March 24 — DAP’s Lim Guan Eng called today for the immediate release of some 90 people who were arrested for protesting against the Goods and Services Tax (GST) yesterday.

The DAP secretary-general and Penang chief minister told the police that such “repressive” tactics to stifle protests against the GST that is scheduled to be implemented next Wednesday will not work.

“It will not still the voices of conscience against abuses of power nor frighten away those who detest corruption,” Lim said in a statement condemning the police and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

He accused the police of deliberately applying for remand orders to force those arrested to spend a few nights in detention as an act of intimidation.

The police detained dozens of activists who held a protest against the GST at the Kelana Jaya Customs Department in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

Those arrested included Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s (PSM) Sungai Siput MP Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, PAS MP Dr Hatta Ramli, PKR’s Badrul Hisham Shahrin, also known as Chegubard, DAP’s Hew Kuan Yau, DAP Wanita’s Sefura Othman and her brother Ahmad Haikal.

Lim labeled Khalid as a “proven Barisan Nasional (BN) gladiator”, saying that the police are practising double standards by not taking action against “racists and extremists” but by arresting BN critics instead.

“Even apolitical young women from TV presenters BFM’s Aishah Tajuddin to lawyers like Michelle Yesudas, who was defending the detained lawyer Eric Paulsen, tweeting about rape are not let off the hook,” he pointed out.

Lim said Malaysians would not be so intolerant if Khalid had also acted against BN supporters who engaged in hate speech.

He noted that no one has been arrested for their tweets threatening bloodshed against non-Malays and that no action was taken against threats to burn Malay-language bibles or a Wanita Umno leader who falsely accused a Chinese of burning the Quran in Kedah.

The Home Ministry said recently that the police have completed investigations on Wanita Umno Baling chief Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim and that the case has been passed to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.