KUALA LUMPUR – The arrest of activists in Kg Muhibbahraya, Tawau, and graphic designer Fahmi Reza Mohd Zarin is seen as a gag on freedom of speech by the government.
Bersih 2.0, in a statement yesterday, also denounced police, who are accused of hitting Mukmin Nantang, one of the activists in the Sabah village.
“Beating a detainee is an abuse of police power and a violation of human rights, especially when the activists who were arrested did not fight back.
“Bersih 2.0 calls for the immediate release of the activists detained in Kg Muhibbahraya.
“We also welcome the release of Fahmi Reza, and urged police to drop the investigation into the activists, who are speaking for the people.”
The polls watchdog said the back-to-back arrests show that the government does not respect Article 10 of the federal constitution protecting people’s freedom of expression.
“The people can only raise their voice to express their challenges and demands. The protests that have spilled into the streets show how desperate the situation is, and the government needs to listen.
The arrest of those who protested against and criticised government policies is outrageous, and does not reflect a caring government that sees the voice of the people as the backbone of the country’s democracy.
“What more with the suspension of Parliament, the space to speak in the country is increasingly being curtailed by the government. This endangers the democracy of our country.”
The activists in Kg Muhibbahraya took part in a demonstration to call for an end to the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) imposed on the village.
A source told The Vibes that the men are Tawau locals, and believed to be part of a group known as Borneo Komrad.
“According to police, they were told to hold the gathering near the local council office.
“About 30 of them held the protest because the villagers in the area are mostly from the low-income group who earn daily wages. They are not able to survive another round of lockdown.”
Meanwhile, Fahmi Reza was released on bail yesterday evening after he was remanded for a day over a Spotify playlist deemed seditious and insulting to the queen.
In a handwritten note by the artist to fellow Malaysians shared by his lawyer Yohendra Nadarajan, Fahmi Reza said it is important that expression through art be defended at all costs.
“In a country where a graphic designer is being censored, arrested and held for his artwork, it is extremely important that creative expressions – parody and satire as a form of protest – be defended and continue to be practised.”
Fahmi Reza was detained at his house here on Friday, just days after promoting his “This Is Dengki Ke” Spotify playlist on Facebook.
The playlist is believed be a satirical take on a recent Instagram comment by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah. – The Vibes, April 25, 2021
