KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — The Selangor government accused the police today of using high-handed action to intimidate opposition lawmakers and urged the authorities to put an immediate stop to the alleged harassment.
Citing yesterday’s raid on PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli and the arrests of PAS leaders Mohamad Sabu and Khalid Samad as examples, Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali said the police were wilfully abusing their powers to stop the politicians from performing their duties.
“The current spate of arrests and leaders... and the relentless efforts to have them remanded for no apparent reason are nothing but a blatant and shameless attempt at disrupting political activity by opposition and civil society groups, and turning Malaysia into a one-party state,” he said in a statement here.
“We hold the Inspector-General of Police and Home Minister responsible for this barbaric display of power and demand that they put an immediate stop to the harassment and high-handed police action,” he added.
Yesterday, the police raided Rafizi’s office and seized four computers, one circular related to the #KitaLawan rally and one media statement, also suspected to be related to the Saturday event.
PKR MP and lawyer G Manivanan, who was at the scene, confirmed the raid took place, but said he could offer scant details.
Rafizi and activist Hishammuddin Rais were remanded on Sunday for three days to aid investigations into their alleged involvement with the #KitaLawan rally.
Rafizi was arrested under the Sedition Act on Friday allegedly for a circular calling for PKR members to attend yesterday’s rally.
Early yesterday morning, Khalid, who is PAS’s Shah Alam MP, was arrested in a pre-dawn swoop at his home, also over his involvement in the pro-Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim #KitaLawan rallies.
Mohamad, on the other hand, was picked up the police in Penang late Friday night.
IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and his police force have engaged in an apparent crackdown on dissent since Anwar’s sodomy conviction on February 10, arresting critics of the decision as well as supporters rallying to the PKR de facto leader’s support.
Over a dozen people have been arrested at various times over the #KitaLawan rallies while several others including lawmakers, lawyers, and activists are under investigations over tweets critical of Anwar’s jailing.
Sedition probes were initiated against political cartoonist Zunar, Penang state executive councillor Dr Afif Bahardin, Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S. Arutchelvan, civil liberties lawyers Eric Paulsen and Michelle Yesudas.
IGP Khalid yesterday defended the arrests by saying that while the police “respected” the freedom of expression and speech, there will be no “compromise” against those who caused public unrest.
