Press Statement by Malaysian Bar
The Bar Council is shocked and deeply troubled over the reported arrest of Raja Petra Kamaruddin under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
The Malaysian Bar has consistently denounced the ISA as draconion and undemocratic, and believes that preventive detention laws should not be invoked under any circumstances. The ISA and other preventive detention laws violate fundamental rights, are unconstitutional and oppressive, and have no place in a society that respects and upholds the rule of law. If an offence has been allegedly committed, the individual concerned must be charged in court and given a fair opportunity to defend himself. We agree with the view reportedly expressed by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim yesterday when he disagreed with the call for the use of the ISA on Datuk Ahmad Ismail, saying that this “will have a huge effect on… the rule of law” and that he should therefore “go through the normal process of law”.
The Bar Council is equally perturbed that three newspapers have been issued show-cause letters today over their news coverage. This together with the arrest of Raja Petra Kamaruddin under the ISA may be viewed as a chilling message that our fundamental freedoms are not secure.
Too often we see in other countries, the rule of law and human rights becoming the first casualties when these countries face uncertainties. This must never be allowed to happen in our country where the rule of law is entrenched in our Rukunegara. More so as Malaysia is a member of the UN Human Rights Council.
We therefore call for the immediate release of Raja Petra Kamaruddin and other detainees.
Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan
President
Malaysian Bar
ISA: Teresa KoK ditahan
Dari Malaysiakini
Pemimpin DAP, Teresa Kok turut ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) hari ini.
Beliau merupakan orang ketiga ditahan hari ini di bawah ISA, selepas editor Malaysia Today, Raja Petra Kamaruddin dan wartawan Sin Chew Daily, Tan Hoon Cheng.
Difahamkan, ahli Parlimen Seputeh itu ditahan pada kira-kira jam 11.18 malam ini.
Beliau yang juga exco kerajaan Selangor ditahan ketika dalam perjalanan pulang selepas menghadiri satu majlis di Kuala Lumpur.
Teresa yang setiausaha organisasi kebangsaan DAP, ditahan selepas kenderaan yang dinaikinya dihalang oleh tiga kereta peronda polis.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Ismail Omar mengesahkan penahanan Teresa mengikut Seksyen 73 (1) ISA.
Di Pulau Pinang, Setiausaha Agung DAP, Lim Guan Eng turut mengesahkan penahanan Teresa.
Menurutnya, parti itu akan mengadakan mesyuarat tergempar esok untuk membincangkan perkara tersebut.
Sin Chew reporter arrested under the ISA
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 -Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, the person who first reported on Bukit Bendera MP Ahmad Ismail’s racial remarks, was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) tonight.
Tan was picked up from her home in Bukit Mertajam at 8.30 tonight.
The arrest tonight comes on the same day as the detention of prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, also under the ISA.
Both arrests followed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi’s warning this week that the ISA would be used to calm rising racial tensions in the country.
Three newspapers - Suara Keadilan, Sin Chew Daily and The Sun - were also issued show cause letters by the Home Ministry today.
Racial tensions have been on the rise since Ahmad’s controversial comments that the Chinese in Malaysia were squatters, was made during the recent Permatang Pauh by election campaign.
Ahmad’s comments and subsequent defiance of his party president Abdullah has also happened amid instability within Umno, with renewed calls for Abdullah to leave office ahead of 2010, the year in which he has promised to hand over power to deputy Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Today’s arrests also happened ahead of September 16, the day in which Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance would topple the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
Earlier today, Raja Petra was detained under Section 73 (1) of the ISA for being a threat to security, peace and public order.
Under the detention orders, he will be detained for 60 days. The Home Minister can extend the detention order at the end of that period.
Bantahan Terhadap Penahanan Raja Petra Kamarudin
Saya mengecam penahanan aktivis sosial dan penulis blog terkenal, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, di bawah undang-undang kuku besi ISA. Dengan menggunakan ISA untuk menghalang proses perubahan di Malaysia, kerajaan Barisan Nasional yang diketuai UMNO mengesahkan ianya telah tidak berpijak di atas sokongan rakyat dan sudah tidak mampu memimpin Malaysia dengan adil dan demokratik.
Saya menegaskan Raja Petra mesti dibebaskan segera dan sebarang tuduhan yang dibuat oleh Kementerian Hal Ehwal dalam Negeri mestilah diselesaikan dengan segera mungkin menuruti proses undang-undang. Raja Petra seharusnya dibenarkan untuk berjumpa peguam dan anggota keluarganya mestilah dibenarkan untuk berjumpa beliau sewaktu dalam tahanan.
Penahanan Raja Petra dan surat tunjuk sebab yang dikeluarkan hari ini kepada Sin Chew Daily, The Sun dan Suara Keadilan di samping halangan terdahulu terhadap laman web politik yang terkenal, menunjukkan dengan jelas kesediaan kerajaan untuk melumpuhkan kebebasan bersuara di saat rakyat berani untuk meluahkan rasa tidak puas hati terhadap dasar kerajaan.
Selepas Pilihanraya 8 Mac dan Pilihanraya Kecil Permatang Pauh, rakyat Malaysia telah menzahirkan keberanian dan iltizam mereka untuk membina satu masyarakat yang demokratik. Penahanan ini tidak akan meredakan merudumnya kredibiliti pentadbiran sekarang, malah hanya akan mempercepatkan kejatuhan pentadbiran ini.
KeAdilan mengulangi bantahan keras terhadap sebarang tindakan menahan individu secara sewenang-wenangnya. Kami secara konsisten menggesa pembebasan semua tahanan ISA kerana tindakan itu bertentangan dengan prinsip masyarakat demokratik. ISA ternyata digunakan untuk melumpuhkan sebarang kritikan dan digunakan terhadap individu yang mempertahankan hak kebebasan suara mereka yang bertentangan dengan pemerintah.
Menggunakan ISA hanya beberapa hari sebelum 16hb September jelas satu usaha untuk mencipta ketakutan dan ketidakstabilan palsu buat menjustifikasikan taktik kerajaan ke atas mereka yang bersama pembangkang.
ANWAR IBRAHIM
Ketua Pembangkang
—————–
I condemn the arrest of social activist and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin under the draconian and infamous ISA. By sanctioning the use of the ISA to avert the process of transformational change in Malaysia, the UMNO-led BN government is confirming that it has lost touch with the will of the people and is no longer capable of leading within the framework of a just and democratic society.
Raja Petra should be released immediately and any allegations leveled against him by the Ministry of Home Affairs must be resolved swiftly by the due process of the law. Raja Petra should be given access to proper legal counsel, and his wife and children should not be denied an opportunity to visit him while he is held captive under this illegal detention.
Raja Petra’s detention and the show cause letters issued today to Sin Chew Daily, The Sun and Suara Keadilan, and its earlier banning of prominent political websites, demonstrate clearly the government’s willingness to subvert the freedom of speech at a time when expression of dissatisfaction with the government’s policies is at an all time high.
In the aftermath of the March 8th elections and the Permatang Pauh by-election the Malaysian people have demonstrated their courage and commitment to building a mature democratic society. The dastardly act of detention without trial will do nothing to abate the current government’s declining credibility, and in fact will likely hasten its eventual collapse.
Keadilan reiterates its vehement opposition to the practice of arbitrary detention without trial. We have consistently called for the immediate release of all ISA detainees, as such practices have no place in a democratic society. The ISA is used to quash dissent and smother those who in exercising their right to free speech voice opinions contrary to the preferred views of the ruling clique.
Invoking the ISA just days before September 16th is clearly an attempt to engineer an atmosphere of fear and instability that would justify the government’s heavy-handed tactics against those aligned with the political opposition.
ANWAR IBRAHIM
Opposition Chief
Raja Petra ditahan bawah ISA
Malaysiakini | 12 September 2008
Blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin telah ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Negeri (ISA), kata isterinya Marina Lee Abdullah.
Menurutnya, 10 anggota polis datang ke rumah mereka di Sungai Buluh pada kira-kira jam 1.10 tengahari tadi untuk menahannya.
Ketika Malaysiakini menghubunginya pada jam 1.25 tengahari, anggota polis masih berada di rumahnya.
Raja Petra kemudiannya dibawa polis dari rumahnya pada jam 1.50 tengahari ke lokasi yang tidak diketahui.
Pada 6 September lalu, Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar telah memberi amaran bahawa editor lamanweb Malaysia Today itu mungkin dikenakan ISA kerana menyiarkan komen yang didakwa menghina Islam dan Nabi Muhammad.
Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim), Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim), Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (Maiwp) dan Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (Jawi), telah membuat laporan polis terhadap Raja Petra berhubung perkara itu.
Mereka mendakwa komen beliau dalam artikel yang bertajuk “I Promise to be a good, non-hypocritical Muslim” didakwa menggunakan ayat-ayat yang menghina orang Islam.
Lamanweb Malaysia Today telah disekat sejak minggu lalu, tetapi sekatan itu telah ditarik balik semalam.
Raja Petra, yang popular dengan panggilan RPK, juga didakwa telah membenarkan komen-komen disiarkan dalam lamanwebnya yang menghina Islam dan Nabi Muhammad, dalam artikel bertajuk “Not all Arabs are descendants of the Prophet”.
Sementara itu, Marina berkata, mereka masih belum melantik peguam untuk mengendalikan perkara itu.
Ini adalah kali kedua Raja Petra ditahan di bawah ISA, yang membenarkan tahanan tanpa bicara.
Kali pertama, beliau ditangkap di bawah ISA pada 11 April 2001 ketika gerakan reformasi di mana sembilan orang telah ditahan. Pada masa itu, beliau merupakan webmaster lamanweb FreeAnwar.com
ketika itu.
Raja Petra dibebaskan selepas ditahan selama 52 hari. Bagaimanapun, enam daripada pemimpin reformasi itu dihantar ke Kem Tahanan Kamunting di Taiping di mana mereka ditahan selama dua tahun.
Sebelum ini, Raja Petra telah dihadapkan ke mahkamah atas tuduhan menghasut dan memfitnah selepas mengaitkan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan isterinya dengan kes pembunuhan Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Abdul Razak Baginda, rakan rapat Najib, didakwa bersubahat membunuh wanita Mongolia yang berusia 28 tahun itu, di mana mayatnya telah diletupkan.
Dua anggota polis, yang tugas mereka termasuk mengawal keselamatan timbalan perdana menteri, menghadapi tuduhan membunuh Altantuya.
ISA yang dibantah oleh kumpulan-kumpulan hak asasi manusia, membolehkan seseorang itu ditahan tanpa bicara selama dua tahun - dan boleh dilanjutkan setiap tahun seterusnya - dan biasannya digunakan terhadap suspek pengganas.
Ia juga digunakan terhadap mereka yang tidak sehaluan dengan kerajaan dan tahun lalu, lima orang pemimpin Hindraf telah ditahan tiga selepas mereka menganjurkan perhimpunan besar-besaran di Kuala Lumpur pada 25 November.
Raja Petra arrested under ISA
From Malaysiakini
Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin has been detained under the Internal Security Act, said his wife Marina Lee Abdullah.
According to Marina, 10 police personnel came to their home in Sungai Buloh at about 1.10pm to arrest him.
When Malaysiakini contacted her at 1.25pm, the police personnel were still there.
On Sept 6, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had warned the 58-year-old editor of popular news portal Malaysia Today could be charged under the ISA for comments allegedly insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad.
Several religious groups - Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim), Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (Maiwp) and Federal Territory Religious Department (Jawi) - had lodged police reports against him.
The groups complained his comment in an article entitled “I Promise to be a good, non-hypocritical Muslim” allegedly used sentences that insulted Muslims.
Second time under ISA
Raja Petra, popularly known by his initials RPK, is also alleged to have allowed comments to appear on his website that degraded Islam and Prophet Muhammad in an article entitled “Not all Arabs are descendants of the Prophet”.
This is the second time Raja Petra, a father of five and part of the Selangor royal family, has been detained under ISA, which allows for indefinite detention without trial.
His first arrest under the tough security law was on April 11, 2001. RPK was detained as part of a crackdown against reformasi activists in which nine others were also held.
At that time he was webmaster for the now defunct FreeAnwar.com site.
Raja Petra was subsequently released after 52 days in detention. However, six of the reformasi leaders were eventually sent to the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping where they were detained for two years.
Kenyataan Pakatan Rakyat: Peralihan Kuasa Tetap Akan Berlaku Kerana BN Telah Gagal
Kepimpinan Pakatan Rakyat yang bertemu hari ini yakin proses pembentukan kerajaan baru yang berlandasan Agenda Reformasi sedang berjalan secara lancar. Kami percaya kerajaan Barisan Nasional akan diganti dalam masa terdekat.
Pakatan Rakyat yakin mendapat bilangan ahli Parlimen yang mencukupi untuk mempunyai majoriti dalam Parlimen yang membolehkan penubuhan kerajaan baru. Bagaimanapun tarikh sebenar penubuhan kerajaan mungkin terpaksa dilewatkan dari 16 September sebagaimana rancangan awal akibat beberapa ahli Parlimen telah dipaksa ke Taiwan.
Umum mengetahui negara kini masih dicengkam permasalahan politik, ekonomi dan sosial yang getir. Akibat kehilangan keyakinan rakyat terhadap kepimpinan UMNO dan BN, timbul percubaan mengalih pandangan kepada isu perkauman sempit.
Masalah perkauman yang diapi-apikan berterusan sehingga kini menunjukkan formula BN yang dihantui kebejatan rasuah dan korupsi gagal mentadbir negara ini. Api perkauman yang cuba dibakar akan mengancam kestabilan negara dan kebajikan rakyat. Kepimpinan BN yang semakin lemah juga menyaksikan parti tersebut semakin berpecah dan semakin hilang arah.
Melihat kepada perkembangan semasa inilah ramai Ahli Parlimen BN telah hilang kepercayaan terhadap kepimpinan BN dan memutuskan untuk bersama dengan Pakatan Rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat menegaskan bahawa kami tidak pernah dan tidak perlu membeli atau menyogok Ahli Parlimen berkenaan untuk menyertai kami. Mereka didorong oleh kesedaran sendiri serta memberikan komitmen menyokong agenda perubahan.
Kami yakin terdapat segelintir elit pemerintah BN yang diketuai UMNO bercita-cita untuk mencipta huru hara agar dapat membantut perubahan, melumpuhkan demokrasi dan merampas hak-hak rakyat Malaysia yang dilindungi Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Kami khuatir seandainya masalah sengaja dibiar merebak dan berlarutan untuk memberikan alasan kepada pemerintah bertindak keras termasuk penangkapan beramai-ramai menggunakan Undang-undang Darurat untuk membendung kemaraan rakyat yang menuntut pembelaan.
Kami menyeru kepada rakyat Malaysia termasuk penyokong UMNO untuk bertenang dan tidak terperangkap dengan retorik perkauman. Marilah kita rakyat Malaysia bersama-sama berusaha keras untuk memperbaiki keadaan ekonomi kita yang semakin teruk dan menyambut perubahan yang akan memberi harapan baru kepada kita semua.
Kami percaya apa pun jua usaha BN hanyalah dapat melambatkan proses pertukaran kerajaan tetapi tidak dapat menggagalkannya kerana formula BN telah gagal.
Dato’ Salehuddin Hashim
Setiausaha Agung
PKR
YB Loke Siew Fook,
Pengarah Pendidikan Politik
DAP
YB Dato’ Kamarudin Jaffar
Setiausaha Agung
PAS
Memaknakan Semula Perisytiharan Permatang Pauh
Tanggal 12 September menyaksikan Perisytiharan Permatang Pauh yang dimasyhurkan pada tahun 1998 menjajat usianya yang kesepuluh tahun ini.
Perisytiharan ini, meskipun kelihatan terpencil di kalangan rakyat, sebenarnya merupakan satu langkah pemula kepada usaha ke arah menggerakkan pembaharuan Malaysia untuk mengorak langkah ke arah menjadi negara yang lebih adil, demokratik dan bermaruah.
Tekad dan iltizam kita merencana agenda perubahan bukan sekadar omong kosong. Ia bersendikan dukungan rakyat yang jelas terlihat rentetan daripada keputusan Pilihanraya Umum Ke-12, 8 Mac 2008 dan juga keputusan Pilihanraya Kecil Parlimen Permatang Pauh 26 Ogos lepas.
Kemelut politik perkauman dan ekonomi yang menindas bukan lagi penyelesaian yang relevan. Tuntasnya, rakyat memerlukan harapan baru. Dan harapan ini telahpun digarap seusai 10 tahun yang lepas melalui Perisytiharan Permatang Pauh, dan kini semakin hampir untuk direalisasikan.
Tekanan ekonomi semakin menggila, rasuah semakin menular dan pembudayaan demokrasi kian menguncup. Apa lagi harapan yang boleh kita sandarkan di kala kita sedang merencana masa depan Malaysia selepas 51 tahun kemerdekaan dikecap?
Kini masanya untuk kita memandang dan melangkah ke hadapan.
Perisytiharan Permatang Pauh
Menyedari gesaan al-Quran yang bermaksud “tidaklah kami mahu melainkan untuk melakukan islah sekuat daya kami”;
Dan berilhamkan tradisi budaya-budaya Asia yang keseluruhannya menganjurkan pembaharuan diri dan masyarakat;
Dan menginsafi bahawa Malaysia kini dicengkam kemelut yang dahsyat dan memerlukan kekuatan dalaman untuk bangun semula;
Maka kami rakyat Malaysia yang berbilang bangsa dan agama bertekat untuk melancarkan gerakan reformasi yang menyeluruh:
Gerakan reformasi yang terpancar perjuangan hati nurani,
dari kesedaran bahawa sesungguhnya diri manusia itu mulia dan
merdeka, mempunyai hak dan tanggungjawab, diri manusia
haram dizalimi dan diaibkan, haram di belenggu dan disekat
tanpa mengikut proses dan undang-undang yang adil;Gerakan reformasi untuk menegakkan keadilan untuk semua,
yang kuat dan yang lemah, yang kaya dan yang miskin;
membersihkan institusi dan proses undang-undang dari
dicemari oleh penyalahgunaan kuasa dan rasuah;Gerakan reformasi untuk mendaulatkan kuasa rakyat melalui
proses demokrasi. Democrasi itu satu kemestian, kerana
semangat keadilan yang ada dalam diri manusia
membolehkan demokrasi dilaksana, tetapi kecenderungan
manusia untuk berlaku zalim menjadikan demokrasi satu
kewajipan;Gerakan reformasi untuk memperjuangkan keadilan ekonomi,
menjana pertumbuhan dan pengagihan yang saksama, jangan
yang kaya bertambah kaya yang miskin papa kedana. Dunia
ini mencukupi untuk keperluan semua, tetapi tidak mencukupi
untuk memenuhi kerakusan individu;Gerakan reformasi untuk membanteras rasuah dan
penyalahgunaan kuasa, mengikis manipulasi pasaran oleh
segelintir golongan rakus dan mahakaya;Gerakan reformasi untuk memperkukuhkan jayadiri budaya
yang dinamis, setia kepada warisan bangsa yang murni dan
terbuka kepada segala yang baik dari semua budaya;Gerakan reformasi untuk membawa bangsa Malaysia ke
zaman maklumat dan dunia tanpa sempadan, menjana
kebijaksanaan, keyakinan dan keterbukaan untuk menjalin
persahabatan sejagat berdasarkan prinsip kebenaran dan
keadilan.Kami akan menggerakkan reformasi ini dengan aman, mengikut semangat perlembagaan dan bernafaskan prinsip pemerintahan undang-undang.
Masanya telah tiba. Bersatulah untuk reformasi.
Permatang Pauh
12 September 1998
ANWAR IBRAHIM
Malaysia’s Exiled MPs
From TODAY’S WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has vowed to entice 30 Members of Parliament to join his coalition and unseat the government next Tuesday. But can any of those pols jump ship if they’re not in the country?
Earlier this week, more than 40 of the ruling National Front coalition’s 140 MPs flew to Taiwan for an agricultural “study tour.” All backbenchers, nearly half hail from Sabah and Sarawak, the Borneo Island states with a clutch of MPs rumored to be considering Mr. Anwar’s offer. The state-run Bernama News Agency reported that the group is expected to return next Wednesday or Thursday — which happens to be after Mr. Anwar’s Tuesday deadline.
The government, from Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak to the backbencher caucus that organized the excursion, denies a link between the trip and Mr. Anwar’s time line. The opposition thinks otherwise. Mr. Anwar said Tuesday that the opposition could “postpone” its takeover bid.
Whatever the real reason behind it, the timing of this trip hasn’t done much to engender confidence in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s government. Mr. Abdullah has already showed signs of his unease in recent weeks as the opposition movement has gained momentum. Late last month, his government banned a popular pro-Anwar news portal. In late July, he implied that Mr. Anwar could use corrupt practices to “entice” MPs to join the opposition. Mr. Anwar denies he would do such a thing.
If Mr. Abdullah really wanted to prove that his ruling coalition can withstand a challenge from Mr. Anwar, then he could have exerted some executive influence and convinced the backbenchers to stick around and vote with his side. But perhaps some good will come of all this. After all, the MPs are in Taiwan, one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. Maybe they’ll learn something.
Malaysia’s Anwar bailed as govt fights race row
From Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was bailed on sodomy charges on Wednesday, allowing him to push ahead with his bid for power at a time when the government is embroiled in a bitter race row.
This is the second time Anwar has faced what he calls politically motivated sodomy charges, after being jailed and barred from office for corruption and sodomy in the late 1990s.
He says the new charges are designed to discredit him as he seeks to entice 30 government legislators to join his opposition alliance in the coming days and take power from the coalition that has ruled Malaysia for more than 50 years.
“I am not guilty, this is a lie, this is malicious,” Anwar told reporters as he entered the court flanked by his wife and daughters and fellow opposition MPs.
“This is trial by ambush,” he said after the court appearance in which he was bailed until Sept. 24, when the judge will decide on a prosecution request to transfer the case to a Kuala Lumpur high court, a move he opposes.
Anwar’s bid for power comes after Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional coalition was rocked in March elections when it lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time.
It has since struggled to strike a chord with voters at a time of rising prices and slowing economic growth in this Asian country of 27 million people.
As political tensions have risen, investors have been unnerved. The cost of insuring Malaysia’s debt has risen sharply to around $136,500 per $10 million of debt from $90,185 prior to the March election, based on prices for 5-year credit default swaps, a barometer of risk.
RACE ROW
The government has now been hit by a row over race in a country where ethnic Malays are more than half the population and ethnic Chinese account for around a quarter.
While Malays are politically dominant in Malaysia they lack economic clout and accounted for only 19 percent of the country’s wealth in 2006, whereas ethnic Chinese held 42 percent of wealth, official data showed.
A mid-ranking official from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the main government party, recently called ethnic Chinese “immigrants” and on Monday he likened them to Jews in America who wanted political as well as economic power.
The comments have produced a sharp backlash from Chinese parties in the ruling coalition.
UMNO will meet on Wednesday to decide on punishment for the official, but political analysts said that the race row was another sign of desperation from UMNO.
“They have no choice but to rein in on such people, otherwise you are talking of political disempowerment of the Barisan Nasional and UMNO in particular. And this will prove Anwar right that they are doing more good for Malaysia than UMNO,” said Bilveer Singh, professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.
Anwar said that the comments had been aimed at stoking racial tensions in order to deflect criticisms of the government’s corruption and economic mismanagement.
“I appeal to Malays, Chinese and Indians to remain calm and do not allow the corrupt government to use this to hit against innocent people,” he said.
Anwar insisted on Wednesday that he was on track to win power by Sept. 16 and that he would win over the 30 government legislators he needed to do so, even though Barisan has shipped around 50 of its MPs overseas on a study tour.
Anwar’s coalition of reformers, Islamists and an ethnic Chinese party has 82 MPs while the government has 140.
