Sarawak activists, lawyer detained ahead of polls

Police detained four activists and confiscated 'seditious' CDs and VCDs containing video and audio recordings of TV Sarawak Bebas and Radio Free Sarawak in Kuching and Miri late last night in what appears to be coordinated arrests.

Kuching-based land rights activist and Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) secretary Nicholas Mujah and Miri-based land rights lawyer and activist Abun Sui Anyit were detained by Kuching and Miri police respectively.

The duo had their statements taken by the police. The other two, who were arrested by police in Kuching but without their statements taken, are social activist Ong Boon Keong and Sadia staff Nikodemus Singgai.

Six Home Ministry officials and a team of Special Branch officers raided the Sadia office just after midnight and confiscated about 1,200 CDs and VCDs. Also confiscated were two compact disc burners and some promotional leaflets.

Mujah, Singgai and Ong were subsequently taken to the Satok police station in Kuching.

A few hours later, Mujah was transferred to the Home Ministry office in Kuching for questioning after the confiscated materials were recorded at the Satok police station.

He was told that he is being investigated under Section 6 of the Film Censorship Act.

Though he has not been charged with any offence, Mujah was told to return to the police station in one month's time. The trio was finally able to head home just before dawn, around 5.30am.

Prominent Kuching-based land rights lawyer See Chee How was present during the raid at the Sadia office and accompanied those arrested by the police until all were released.

Lawyer intercepted at Miri airport

Meanwhile in Miri, Anyit was stopped by a group of police officers at the Miri airport at 8.30pm as he arrived from Kuching early last evening.

Anyit (left) was said to be carrying about 200 similar CDs and VCDs when he was stopped by police and was told that they suspected the materials were seditious.

He was then taken to the Miri police station and had his statement recorded. He was informed that he was being investigated under section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and was told to report back to the police in one month.

Anyit was released on police bail and allowed to leave around 3am.

Speaking to Malaysiakini this morning, Anyit, a PKR member, said 12 police officers came to arrest him and that he was questioned about his political and work activities.

"They also asked about my parents, siblings and son... this has nothing to do with the CDs. I believe that this is politically motivated," he said, adding that he is expected to be charged in court on Feb 7.

'TV Sarawak Bebas' is a DVD-based media targeting Sarawak's vast rural communities.

It has recorded several stories from the rural communities on their fight to defend their land rights and about their abject living conditions.

'Radio Free Sarawak' is an independent station which started its daily broadcast on Nov 16 last year and sources its news from the expose-website Sarawak Report as well as from Sarawak activists and communities defending land rights and against abuses by the Sarawak BN government under long-time Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Malaysian blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, who is popularly known as RPK, is a regular commentator on the radio programme.

The Sarawak state election must be held before July this year and the opposition Pakatan Rakyat is mounting the most serious challenge yet to Taib Mahmud, who is facing mounting calls to quit after Sarawak Report exposed incidents of corrupt practice on a massive scale.

- Malaysiakini