“As an elected member of parliament, he has the right to voice the aspirations of the rakyat who want free and fair elections,” said Anwar in a statement today.The PKR de facto leader was responding to the placement yesterday of Jeyakumar and five others in detention under sections 3(1) and 4(1) of the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969.
The Emergency Ordinance (EO) is similar to the Internal Security Act, which allows police to detain suspects for up to 60 days.
Section 3(1) provides for the arrest and detention of any person without warrant or trial under grounds contained in 4(1) that the person is acting in a manner prejudicial to public order, to suppress violence, or prevent other crimes for any period not exceeding two years.
PM Najib Abdul Razak today said the EO detentions were due tosuspicions that the six were involved with subversive elements and to prevent more serious incidents from taking place.
Apart from Jeyakumar (far left, in photo), 56, the other members are PSM deputy chairperson M Saraswathy, 58, central committee members Choo Chon Kai, 33, M Sukumaran, 50, Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan, 49, and Youth leader Sarat Babu, 25.
Anwar, who is Permatang Pauh parliamentarian, also condemned the authorities for slandering the Bersih 2.0 coalition advocating free and fair elections as a subversive movement and its planned rally on July 9 as contributing towards a threat to public security.
“It has been said many times, the Bersih secretariat has stressed that the rally to be held on July 9 will be a peaceful assembly.
“The Bersih secretariat had even sought to negotiate with the authorities so that its demands over elections (reform) can be implemented.
“But these demands and urgings have been rejected with the utmost arrogance.
“The authorities need not fear with the demands, which it is hoped will bring good to the people and nation of Malaysia,” he added.
Anwar called for Jeyakumar's release and that of other five from detention under the EO and that the government respect rule of law and constitution.
No fear
Meanwhile, Perak PAS condemned the arrests in Kuala Kangsar under Section 27 of the Police Act for illegal assembly when they were found with T-shirts promoting the Bersih rally.
Aged between 19 and 40, they were picked up in a raid at a shophouse in Kuala Kangsar, about 45km from Ipoh yesterday.
State criminal investigation department chief Dzuraidi Ibrahim had said today the suspects were stamping logos on t-shirts, pertaining to the illegal rally, when the police raided the premises at about 10am.
The five had their statements were recorded at the Kuala Kangsar police headquarters before they were released on bail.
The police, said Perak PAS information chief Ahmad Nuri Al-Amin in a statement, looks as if they are looking for evidence to detain people under Section 27, while acting against a basic principle that an act cannot be deemed illegal before it has been committed.
“The police are actually trying to associate wearing the Bersih yellow T-shirts with sedition, provocation and prejudice against Bersih's peaceful assembly,” said Ahmad.
He called for the release of all persons detained over the Bersih fiasco, while urging the people not to be fearful of exercising their right to peaceful assembly as provided for in the federal constitution.
Ahmad also asked whether it is not the police's actions that will turn Bersih chaotic. - Malaysiakini
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