Solidarity for Isham Rais

‘They can only imprison Hisham’s body, not his voice’ Next week will see social activist Hishamuddin Rais either having to undergo a nine-month jail sentence for sedition or otherwise, when the Court of Appeal hears his case on Monday. The 65-year-old – known as one who never minces his words together with his trademark black…

Malaysia intensified human rights crackdown in 2015, says Amnesty

Malaysia intensified human rights crackdown in 2015, says Amnesty Malaysia “intensified” its crackdown on freedom of expression and other civil and political rights last year, the latest Amnesty International report on the State of the World’s Human Rights said. The report for 2015/2016 to be released later today said this was evidenced from the use…

The Malaysian government has no sense of humor — and that’s dangerous

I’m a cartoonist in a country where cartooning can be a crime. Under my pen name, Zunar, I expose corruption and abuses of power by the Malaysian government. As it happens, I have a good deal of material to work with. For instance, Prime Minister Najib Razak is currently facing questions about a $700 million…

Malaysia invokes British-era law to stifle critics’ voices – Washington Post

Malaysia invokes British-era law to stifle critics’ voices KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Online critics of the Malaysian government would be well advised not to spend too much money on cellphones. “Just lost number four,” Eric Paulsen, an outspoken civil liberties lawyer and compulsive tweeter, said Nov. 20 after nearly two hours of questioning at the…

The Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in Malaysia – HRW report

The 143-page report, “Creating a Culture of Fear: The Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in Malaysia,” documents the government’s use and abuse of a range of broad and vaguely worded laws to criminalize peaceful expression, including debates on matters of public interest. The report also spotlights a disturbing trend of abuse of the legal process, including…

Stop Treating Criticism as a Crime – Human Rights Watch

Malaysia: Stop Treating Criticism as a Crime (Kuala Lumpur) – The space for public debate and free speech in Malaysia is rapidly narrowing, as the government resorts to criminal laws to silence its critics and quell public discontent, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. United States President Barack Obama and other world…

Malaysia fast becoming a fascist state

COMMENT The increasingly and desperate use of oppressive laws like the Sedition Act 1948 is evidence enough that Malaysia is fast becoming a fascist state. By fascism, is meant a system of government marked by oppressive controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racist and religious extremism. Even…

Fortifying authoritarian rule in Malaysia

The current session of the lower house (Dewan Rakyat) of the Parliament of Malaysia has just adjourned until mid-May. During that session, international attention focussed mainly on two issues, both of which entailed tension within, and possibly the collapse of, the Pakatan Rakyat (“PR”) Opposition alliance: the fate of jailed Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, now…

A thuggish government is playing racial politics

Repression in Malaysia A thuggish government is playing racial politics. Najib Razak should be dressed down Yet it is time to call Mr Najib out on the widening gulf between spin and substance. On the economic front is a growing scandal over dubious connections and misused funds at a national investment fund, 1MDB, that Mr…

Time to call Najib out, says Economist

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must come clean on Malaysia’s true state of affairs, The Economist said today, amid growing concerns over issues such as troubled state firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the stifling of rights and freedom in the country. The newspaper condemned the “widening gulf between spin and substance”, adding that…