WEEKS AFTER jailing opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for five years, Malaysia's government has escalated a crackdown on civil liberties and freedom of speech.
Five senior journalists are the latest targets in a mounting tally of detentions under a draconian sedition law that Prime Minister Najib Razak promised to abolish in 2012, describing it as of a "bygone era."
Critics are comparing sweeping arrests to an infamous 1987 political crackdown by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad that crushed his political opponents.
Senior opposition figure Lim Kit Siang estimates that more than 100 people have been detained over the past week. In February, authorities arrested the popular cartoonist Zunar.
Mr Najib has been fending off criticism over his handling of state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad that is billions of dollars in debt and faces challenges to his leadership within his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
Dozens of opposition politicians, activists, students and lawyers have been arrested over the past year on sedition and other charges after the government that has ruled since 1956 lost the popular vote at elections in 2013, but remained in power because of a gerrymandered voting system.
Three leading opposition politicians were among those arrested last week in a bid to stop a protest march demanding the release of Mr Anwar, who was convicted on rarely-used sodomy charge that was widely seen as being politically motivated.
Mr Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah, a member of parliament and one of those recently charged with sedition, has warned that Malaysia was sliding towards becoming a "police state".
Tian Chua, an MP and vice president of Mr Anwar's People's Justice Party, accused the government of acting maliciously before he was arrested.
"This is an abuse of the sedition law and an abuse of everything," he said.
Rafizi Ramli, the party's general-secretary, said after his arrest that Mr Najib is mistaken "if he thinks the action will stop us from speaking out on corruption, abuse of power, or misconduct."
Mr Rafizi said he discussed ways to topple Mr Najib with other detainees while in jail.
Journalist groups have condemned the arrest of Ho Kay Tat, the prominent publisher of The Edge media group and Jahabar Sadiq, chief editor of the Malaysian Insider news portal and three senior editors.
Police had lodged a complaint against Malaysian Insider over a March 25 news report involving the country's nine ceremonial sultans while The Edge has published a series of reports on 1 Malaysia Development Berhad whose board is chaired by Mr Najib, including raising questions over the whereabouts of huge sums of money.
"In the wake of multiple arrests and detentions of those seen to be critical of the government, it is even more important for the media to continue to play its part as the fourth estate to hold the pillars of government accountable and to keep the public informed," the Centre for Independent Journalism and the South-East Asian Press Alliance said in a joint statement.
Mr Najib has not commented on the arrests.
Malaysia's government-controlled mainstream media has given little coverage to the crackdown but prominent social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, the eldest daughter of the former prime minister, said the arrests of the journalists was a "very sad day for media freedom."
Most of those arrested have been released pending court proceedings.
Those found guilty under the 1948 Sedition Act face up to three years jail and or fines.
Amnesty International says the law does not comply with international human rights law and violates the right to freedom of expression that is supposed to be guaranteed in Malaysia's constitution.
Five senior journalists are the latest targets in a mounting tally of detentions under a draconian sedition law that Prime Minister Najib Razak promised to abolish in 2012, describing it as of a "bygone era."
Critics are comparing sweeping arrests to an infamous 1987 political crackdown by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad that crushed his political opponents.
Senior opposition figure Lim Kit Siang estimates that more than 100 people have been detained over the past week. In February, authorities arrested the popular cartoonist Zunar.
Mr Najib has been fending off criticism over his handling of state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad that is billions of dollars in debt and faces challenges to his leadership within his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
Dozens of opposition politicians, activists, students and lawyers have been arrested over the past year on sedition and other charges after the government that has ruled since 1956 lost the popular vote at elections in 2013, but remained in power because of a gerrymandered voting system.
Three leading opposition politicians were among those arrested last week in a bid to stop a protest march demanding the release of Mr Anwar, who was convicted on rarely-used sodomy charge that was widely seen as being politically motivated.
Mr Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah, a member of parliament and one of those recently charged with sedition, has warned that Malaysia was sliding towards becoming a "police state".
Tian Chua, an MP and vice president of Mr Anwar's People's Justice Party, accused the government of acting maliciously before he was arrested.
"This is an abuse of the sedition law and an abuse of everything," he said.
Rafizi Ramli, the party's general-secretary, said after his arrest that Mr Najib is mistaken "if he thinks the action will stop us from speaking out on corruption, abuse of power, or misconduct."
Mr Rafizi said he discussed ways to topple Mr Najib with other detainees while in jail.
Journalist groups have condemned the arrest of Ho Kay Tat, the prominent publisher of The Edge media group and Jahabar Sadiq, chief editor of the Malaysian Insider news portal and three senior editors.
Police had lodged a complaint against Malaysian Insider over a March 25 news report involving the country's nine ceremonial sultans while The Edge has published a series of reports on 1 Malaysia Development Berhad whose board is chaired by Mr Najib, including raising questions over the whereabouts of huge sums of money.
"In the wake of multiple arrests and detentions of those seen to be critical of the government, it is even more important for the media to continue to play its part as the fourth estate to hold the pillars of government accountable and to keep the public informed," the Centre for Independent Journalism and the South-East Asian Press Alliance said in a joint statement.
Mr Najib has not commented on the arrests.
Malaysia's government-controlled mainstream media has given little coverage to the crackdown but prominent social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, the eldest daughter of the former prime minister, said the arrests of the journalists was a "very sad day for media freedom."
Most of those arrested have been released pending court proceedings.
Those found guilty under the 1948 Sedition Act face up to three years jail and or fines.
Amnesty International says the law does not comply with international human rights law and violates the right to freedom of expression that is supposed to be guaranteed in Malaysia's constitution.
