Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (March 17): The arrest of Lembah Pantai member of parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar stifles free speech and criminalises dialogue that would be a normal part of political discourse, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Nurul Izzah was arrested by police yesterday under the Sedition Act, and a statement by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said she was being investigated under the act over the #KitaLawan rally and for making "contemptuous remarks" against the judiciary.

The #KitaLawan rally was held in the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, on March 7 to pressure the government into releasing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and to call for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's resignation.

HRW deputy dierctor Asia, Phil Robertson in a brief statement said that the arrest of Nurul Izzah showed that the Malaysia government seemed to know no bounds in its efforts to stifle free speech and criminalize dialogue that would be a normal part of political discourse in much of the rest of the world.

Robertson said  Najib and his government were shamefully using the Sedition Act like an axe to hack down opposition politicians, community activists, and any others who dared speak their minds. 

“Prime Minister Najib needs to recognize that every sedition arrest of an opposition political leader is another step towards the destruction of rights-respecting democracy in Malaysia, and bring this campaign of abuse to an end,” said Robertson.

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