Why highlighting corruption seditious, watchdog questions May Day arrests

Corruption watchdog slams the police over its 'high handedness' in arresting opposition leaders and activists after the May Day rally in Kuala Lumpur. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, May 3, 2015.Malaysians have the right to express opinions and get answers to ongoing controversies involving alleged loss of public funds, including the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, and should not be arrested for it, said watchdog Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) today.

Condemning the police over its "high handedness" for the slew of arrests at the Friday May Day rally, C4 said that it was further appalled over the reasons police reportedly gave the court for the need to remand several opposition leaders and activists.

"It was reported that 'corruption, the lavish wedding of the prime minister’s daughter and the 1MDB' brought up in speeches at the rally were deemed seditious.

"Those factors are gravely weighing in on the public as costs of living escalate beyond reasonable proportions.

“How could public outcry over such devastatingly real issues be deemed seditious?

“How are questions related to public accountability and public money, deemed seditious?"

Police are investigating the rally-goers under Sedition Act, which criminalises speech with “seditious tendencies”, including those which could bring hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the government.

However, the Parliament recently passed amendments to remove the provision that made criticising the government seditious.

"The police are clearly unable to balance law and order with the fundamental rights of the people as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.

“The furious zealousness of the IGP (Inspector-General of Police) in protecting our leaders complicates its obligations from being accountable to the people. This must not and cannot be tolerated," said C4.

The anti-corruption NGO called on authorities to "stop the harassment of peaceful demonstrators" and abolish the Sedition Act.

It argued that the legislation has shown itself repeatedly open to abuse, given the alleged bias of the police in "nabbing dissenters while letting the real criminals, and corrupt offenders go free".

C4 said that if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak "truly believed in his own people centred rhetoric", he should immediately come clean on his personal wealth by declaring his assets and sources of income.

"Answer all questions related to the 1MDB controversy, without further delay, and put to rest the growing suspicions of a fraudulent money trail that reeks of corruption."

C4 also called on Putrajaya to invest in prudent financial management to stop wastages and leakages in government; and as an immediate measure, cancel the newly implemented goods and services tax (GST).

C4 said that good and open governance must compel its leadership to answer to its people, and not shut them out.

"The suspicious movement of massive money in the 1MDB saga, coupled with the continuous reports of the extravagant lifestyle of the prime minister and his wife calls for transparency.

"Using a sledgehammer approach to silence discontent runs great risks of a slide in public confidence... forcing an iron fist approach to cull discontent manifests an insecure, desperate political leadership that is nervously losing the plot, throwing itself into greater peril by removing itself from the peoples anguish," it said.

An estimated 10,000 people, many dressed in red, thronged the streets of the capital for the May Day rally. They were mainly there to oppose the month-old GST.

So far, police have picked up 36 people, 29 of whom have been remanded for three days to facilitate investigation into acts of vandalism during the protest, as well as for unlawful assembly and sedition.

- TMI