This is tyranny, says Anwar

Athi Shankar
24 May 2013

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim today came down hard on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for reneging on his pledges of political reform and “stepping on the heads of the rakyat”.

Anwar, who is PKR’s de facto leader, said Najib was showing shades on tyranny by turning against Pakatan leaders, activists and the rakyat who are dissatisfied with the conduct of the general election.

“Adam Adli has been charged with sedition purportedly ‘by calling for the toppling of the elected government’”.

“Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim and Tamrin Tun Ghafar have been arrested. This is tyranny writ large.
“Let’s get it straight: Najib’s government is not a duly elected government. It is a government that’s come into power by systemic widespread fraud aided and abetted by the Election Commission,” said Anwar in a statement today.

“Its legitimacy is therefore in question. This is our position and we are mounting a legal and judicial challenge in this regard,” he added.

Anwar said that almost 500,000 Malaysians have participated in Pakatan’s nationwide rallies to “demonstrate their utter disgust with the cheating and the consequent illegitimate assumption of power”.

These people, Anwar said, believed in their cause to seek a better future, and were not intimidated by the constant threats and warnings from the police.

“This is nobility of spirit which no tyranny can suppress. Adam Adli embodies this spirit and the aspirations of the hundreds of thousands who have attended and the millions more who voted for change, fair play and justice,” he said.

The rakyat will prevail

Anwar said Najib was winding the clock backwards to go to the days of rule by dictatorship, by arresting and prosecuting people who were fighting for their constitutional rights.

He said these included the prosecution of PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad for organising a Pakatan rally in Kelana Jaya, the arrest of 18 people who had gathered to show support for Adam while he was held in remand, the prosecution of Adam for alleged sedition, and the arrest of Tian Chua, Haris and Tamrin under Sedition Act yesterday.

He also reminded the new Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar that his duty was to serve the people.

“His priority is to keep the county safe – not from legitimate peaceful rallies – but from criminals and real mischief makers,” he added.

Anwar also expressed dismay that DAP veteran Chen Man Hin was also hauled up by the police and interrogated over “frivolous allegations about him being linked to a plot to overthrow the government”.

“This is completely insane. Is this Najib’s way of spending tax payers’ money? Is this the new direction to be given to the police under its new IGP?

“While real criminals, including those who commit hate and racist crimes, are going about with impunity, those who are calling for justice are being hounded like rats and prosecuted?
“Najib is stepping on the heads of the rakyat. Eventually, the rakyat will prevail,” he said.

Another era of Mahathirism

Meanwhile in GEORGE TOWN, DAP chairman Karpal Singh was convinced that the spate of recent arrests under the Sedition Act could trigger a repeat of the infamous 1987 Ops Lalang.
He also believed that the arrest of the four people would restore the previous hard line government stance ala Mahathirism.

Karpal claimed that detention of the four could lead to a nationwide crackdown ala Ops Lalang on opposition leaders.

“Their arrests were obvious that there was another Ops Lalang in the offing.
“It’s beginning of coming arrest from looks of it. We are concern about this spate of arrests.
“We are having another era of Mahathirism,” Karpal told newsmen here today.

Karpal was referring to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s 22-year-old hard line rule of the country between 1981 and 2003.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had claimed the detention was police operation to restore and maintain public order, peace and security

Karpal slammed Zahid for allegedly lying, adding that the Inspector-General of Police would not have acted without sanctions from the Home Ministry.

He expressed surprise that Zahid, who he thought would be slow in directing the arrest of opposition leaders, had decided to go on a rampage to clampdown the opposition.

Anyhow, he said Pakatan Rakyat would not be cowed by strong arm tactics by the Home Minister.
He said the people were obviously angry with the recent general election results as evidently shown in the ongoing Pakatan “505” rallies.