Start of Najib’s crackdown?


Civil society activist Wong Chin Huat was arrested under the Sedition Act at his home in Taman Sri Sentosa in Kuala Lumpur at about 8 pm tonight.

Is it because of the “1Black Malaysia” campaign?

The following is a Malaysiakini report on Wong’s arrest:

Activist Wong arrested under Sedition Act

Poll reform group Bersih spokesperson Wong Chin Huat has been arrested under the Sedition Act tonight by a team of police at his home in Taman Sri Sentosa in Kuala Lumpur.

According to his lawyer Edmund Bon, the activist was arrested at 8pm after a police report was lodged today.

“I tried negotiating with the police officer (on the phone) but they won’t listen to me. They didn’t want to tell under what section of the Sedition Act (that the arrest was made) and who the complainant is.”

Bon has since unable to contact Wong. According to him, he could be taken to the police headquarters in Bukit Aman.

It is not clear whether Wong’s arrest is linked to a press conference he called earlier today.

At the press conference, Wong (photo) had urged the public to wear black on May 7, to protest the Perak state government takeover by Barisan Nasional which has been seen as undemocratic and unconstitutional.

Wong issued a statement on behalf of Bersih, saying that the protest was aimed at newly-minted Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is widely credited as the mastermind behind the February power grab.

The Bersih’s campaign slogan “1BlackMalaysia: Democracy first, elections now”, is a play on Najib’s “1Malaysia: People first, performance now” tagline.

May 7 is also the date where BN Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir is convening the Perak state legislative assembly to oust speaker V Sivakumar and pass motions to legitimise his government.

‘Paint every town, village black’

In his statement today, Wong said that the 1BlackMalaysia campaign is a peaceful, yet powerful message of “civil disobedience”.

“We want to let them know that people are the politicians’ bosses and no politician can disregard public opinion and escape punishment in the next general election,” he said.

He urged the public to “paint every state, territory, town and village black” with clothes, headbands, hats, turbans, veils, armbands, ribbons and stickers.

“Let us be united in one black colour and let’s show the world that the 1Malaysia under Najib is 1BlackMalaysia living in darkness,” he said.

Bersih is a coalition of opposition parties and NGOs who have been pressuring the authorities to improve election laws and administration.

  1. #1 by carboncopy on Tuesday, 5 May 2009 - 9:22 pm

    Najib is trying to help promote 1BlackMalaysia.

    Can watch the video of the press conference earlier today : 1BlackMalaysia

  2. #2 by -ec- on Tuesday, 5 May 2009 - 9:33 pm

    a news flash from Pekan, Pahang (NST, 2009/05/05):

    KUALA LUMPUR: The al-Qaeda operative recently arrested in Europe was working for Daimler Chrysler Malaysia Sdn Bhd at its plant in Pekan, Pahang.
    http://www.nst.com.my/Tuesday/National/2548742/Article/index_html

    Is this a threat of national security?

  3. #3 by a2a on Tuesday, 5 May 2009 - 9:38 pm

    Perakians ”Mayday…Mayday….Mayday..calling..Malaysian.. calling..UK.. calling..USA..calling..CNN..calling…BBC…7th May come to witness our wills are hijacked by the hijackers in our own land Perak”

    Perakians “come and witness….the breaking news of Malaysia in 7th May 2009..we will be hijacked by hijackers…”

  4. #4 by a2a on Tuesday, 5 May 2009 - 9:59 pm

    unless the H1N_ can stop the hijack……n all may quarantines for a week in the hall…

  5. #5 by negarawan on Tuesday, 5 May 2009 - 10:04 pm

    Tales of the two Najis……..Pretty interesting

    http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/21327/84

  6. #6 by gofortruth on Tuesday, 5 May 2009 - 10:30 pm

    BN has not changed a bit. Still the same old big BULLY! All the more the rakyat must continue to vote opposition until there is effective check & balance.

  7. #7 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 5 May 2009 - 11:51 pm

    Karpal Singh and Wong Chin Huat are victims of the Sedition Act.

  8. #8 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 12:18 am

    Malay sia is getting interesting – cannot mention Altanuya, cannot wear orange, cannot wear yellow, cannot wear black, cannot ……..
    What can we do?

  9. #9 by distantmalay on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 12:36 am

    Is wong chin huat behind bars for raping someone? No.
    For killing somebody? No.
    For trafficking drugs? No.
    For robbery? No.
    For illegal possession of firearms? No.

    what can be more serious than the above that he needs to be put behind bars (and without trial).

  10. #10 by ShiokGuy on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 12:42 am

    Wong, We are with you.
    This banner is for you, dedicated to you!

    http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/wong-chin-huat-arrested.html

    Shiok Guy

  11. #11 by Onlooker Politics on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 1:15 am

    Not only we have to wear black for the next two days. Najib and Rosie need to wear black also, especially on Altantuya’s birthday. Perhaps there will be no other better way for Najib to appease the spirit of Altantuya unless he wears black on every 6th of May, the memorable birthday of Altantuya! Unfortunately, Rosie always picks “red” as the theme colour for Najib in either the shirt or the necktie he wears. Altantuya must have gotten angry about Najib’s RED because Altantuya as a deceased spirit should be honoured with BLACK!

  12. #12 by ekompute on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 2:19 am

    “Civil society activist Wong Chin Huat was arrested under the Sedition Act at his home in Taman Sri Sentosa in Kuala Lumpur at about 8 pm tonight.”

    I am not surprised at all. I knew it was coming, otherwise, how would the R-A-H-M-A-N prophesy be fulfilled. Look for happier times ahead in the next general election. Between now until then, it’s gonna be one big hell.

  13. #13 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 2:22 am

    No black parade on May 7, Perakians lost.

  14. #14 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 2:57 am

    What have you got to lose, Zambry as Perak MB or Najib as PM of Malaysia?

  15. #15 by k1980 on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 6:00 am

    ‘Paint every town, village black’

    [deleted]

  16. #16 by monsterball on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 7:17 am

    He is the most unreliable PM with an unpredictable mind.
    He said Sabahans are showing the
    “1 Malaysia” he is taking about….seeing few dozens came out to greet him.
    This means all Malaysians must be one…fear and umpoo UMNO..or else….no?

  17. #17 by sotong on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 7:43 am

    For decades, the ordinary people are manipulated and exploited to achieve narrow, short term, divisive and damaging political objectives.

    Every ” politician ” is for himself/herself.

  18. #18 by k1980 on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 7:48 am

    1BlackMalaysia is an insult to the Blacks of Africa, the Americas and elsewhere. Change it to 1C4Malaysia

  19. #19 by pkrisnin on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 7:51 am

    Zambry must have something up his sleeve.
    Will the Sultan be attending the May 7 meeting too.

  20. #20 by kerishamuddinitis on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 8:24 am

    1MAN – PELETUP MONGOLIA

    1PERSONALITY – SLIME BALL

    1THOUGHT – ‘…BATH THIS KERIS…

    1LIE…1MALAYSIA

    1MALAYSIA…just only good to chat about over 1NOW 1NESCAFE at 1UTAMA paid with the 1CARD…hollow adpseak sloganeering which PELETUP MONGOLIA himself termed as ‘a tagline’…not a philosophy, not a belief, not a commitment, not a promise of unification of the rakyat as equals not to be disciminated in any way but…A TAGLINE! So, as with taglines treated in the ad world…they change as the tone, mood and circumstances change. At least in the ad world, their taglines are meant to connect with the consumer.

    1MALAYSIA – has just become 1BLACK MALAYSIA!

  21. #21 by DAP man on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 8:48 am

    Looks like anyone can be detained for even saying ‘ cheese’!
    The weaker the PM and BN, the more will be the oppression using the police.
    What can one expect from a wounded animal?

  22. #22 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 9:00 am

    Actually I suggest everyone wear black T-shirts with a picture of Altantuya but with a big cross on it to send the message that Perakians are no cheap Mongolian sluts and BN Perak are just Mat Rempits who don’t know a Camry is better than a Proton.

  23. #23 by the reds on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 9:29 am

    Najib has shown his real stripes!!!!

  24. #24 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 9:44 am

    What about black undies, singlet, socks and bra?
    Can ah?
    Need permission or not from mata-mata and PM?

  25. #25 by taiking on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 9:48 am

    Mayhem. Wot a real mess!! As if the mess is not bad enough. As if they have not suffered enough damage to their reputation and integrity and reliability. Instead of cleaning up, they decided to deepen and widen the mess. Stupid and senseless move by them. Good for us. Another own goal scored by umno.

    Actually the arrest could be a diversion by najib from the recently released info by RPK.

    And yes. I will wear something black tommorrow!

  26. #26 by taiking on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 9:51 am

    RELEASE Wong Chin Huat NOW!!

  27. #27 by a g on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 10:00 am

    Sedition??? Sedition against which government may I know???
    The Federal Government??? Quite unlikely..isn’t it??? The Perak State Government??? Which one??? Zamry’s??? Legitimized…already???

  28. #28 by Ken G on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 10:10 am

    Wong Chin Huat’s arrest is a calculated action to cow political activists into silence and fear. Fortunately, Malaysians are not so easily cowed now.

    Such action may in fact ignite more resistance and loathing to this regime.

    With the police wasting time on serving their political masters (Umno) instead of fighting crime, no wonder our crime rate is so high and our streets are unsafe.

  29. #29 by k1980 on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 10:44 am

    Imagine that the opposition party in Myanmar (or for that matter, in Sudan, Iran or Venezuela) has won the elections there but it could not form a government because 3 of its MPs have hopped over to the other side. The Americans will cry foul and sent an invasion force as happened in Iraq.

  30. #30 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 10:52 am

    The ISA along with the Sedition Act which was implemented to intimidate the Opposition and its supporters must be repealed, or else they will pose a stumbling block in the country’s democratization process.

  31. #31 by zak_hammaad on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 11:03 am

    I congratulate the police on their firm action against calls for civil disorder. Such irresponsible words and actions can enflame public sentiments and become a cause for instability. The freedom that bloggers have does not over-ride the freedom that the rakyat have: to live in a peaceful and stable society.

    We must stop playing party politics and think of the bigger national picture. The Perak take-over by BN was neither unconstitutional nor illegal and can NOT be described as ‘power grab’. It was in fact a taste of Pakatan’s own medicine of “party hopping” policy which came back to haunt them!

  32. #32 by ktteokt on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 12:28 pm

    Let them keep the ISA and Sedition Act and let them have a taste of their own medicine when BN becomes the opposition in GE13!

  33. #33 by Ken G on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 12:40 pm

    Malaysians have shown that they will hold politicians to their promise and kick out those who fail to deliver. So if you can’t deliver, don’t promise.

    Badawi promised good governance, anti-corruption, transparency and accountability. He failed to deliver and Malaysians handed him BN’s worse defeat ever at the 12th G.E.

    Najib gave Malaysians high hopes on 1Malaysia, greater press freedom, review of ISA and tolerance for political dissent. If he fails to deliver, Malaysians will also give him a big kick at the next G.E.

    Can Najib deliver? Only fools and dreamers will dare to hope. Wong Chin Huat’s arrest is a foretaste that nothing has changed.

  34. #34 by Joshua Tan Kok Hauw on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 12:43 pm

    To all the BN ministers and leaders.

    It is the stupidest action of BN, which was made by the stupidest Minister of BN just to please his boss.

    The recalcitrant and powerful BN ministers always put the law into their own hands. Why do I believe so?

    1)Utusan Malaysia made a seditious report a few weeks ago, yet it was not dealt with Sedition Act.

    2) Ahmad Ismail who humiliated Chinese Malaysian during Permatang Pauh by-election was deemed as a hero instead of being charged for making seditious speech.

    3)Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of a stubborn and recalcitrant former PM said that the chinese stream schools should study all subjects in BM was not arrested for making this seditious statement.

    4)In 2006 UMNO general assembly the debate of UMNO delegates was broadcated live, during the debate most of the representatives made seditious statement, yet they were not charged.

    There are still many examples like the cases mentioned above.
    Where is the justice, Oh I pray that all those who put the law in their own hand and mete out injustice be punished in the Judgement Day and sent to hell which burned the wicked forever.

  35. #35 by HJ Angus on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 12:51 pm

    This clampdown is definitely another “black eye” in our history books.
    Unfortunately it appears that the government really cannot discern between ruling as a democratic power and remaining in control by whatever means.
    The only remedy is to vote out this government in the next GE.
    http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2009/05/malaysiakini-on-wearing-black.html

  36. #36 by localgrad on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 12:52 pm

    wat the f***, najis and goons.

    wat’s happen to your “people first” slogan.

    y cant we wear whatever we like?

    is asking malaysian to wear black on a particular day worse than the utusan malaysia’ bangkitlah melayu?

    wats the seditious element of wearing black.

    okay, initially im not that in to it, coz i dun hv black sheet.
    now i m going to buy one cheap one from carrefour, just for tomorrow!

    Bravo najisss! we realised you are a lousy pretender now. we will kick u n your party out in next GE. and if u guys make noise, PR could send u to jail using ISA n Seditious Act.

  37. #37 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 1:16 pm

    Now the Botak looked much nicer than the kerismudin!!! kerismudin used to waive the keris and now he can use gun or submachinegun and other tools to achieve his vicious objectives “legally” !!!
    any thing black will be dstroyed by BN and its power crazy followers on May 7th!!! they wont hesitate to use C4 if necessary and no body will know how they obtain them as no records will be kept if issued to their own kakis!!!

  38. #38 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 1:21 pm

    Najis is smart, he already sweet talk and make sabahans mainly the politicians very very happy by pumping billions into their pockets, next, he is going to Sarawak and do the same. This will ensure BN will still be in power even if the same 308 happened again in next GE!!! On top of that, Najis may increase even more MP seats in Sabah and Sarawak, let say, 1 MP for every 5000 people!!! That will definitely ensure that BN is very very safe in next GE!!!

  39. #39 by frankyapp on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 1:30 pm

    Dear Joshua,you are absolulely correct there’s no justice in our mother land under Umno/Bn .These guys have power and wealth.They think they own the country and can do anything whatever it takes to silent all their critics.This is exactly what these guys are doing now. They ignore the country’s rules and use it’s own rules the so-called jungle rules.Now if you in the jungle with small weapons what will happen to you (only god knows) when you face to face with these bunch of fighters heavily armed with M16 and handheld rockets with intention to kill ?.I think the only solution is GE13

  40. #40 by k1980 on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 1:31 pm

    It’s no longer “people first” now… it is “Wong Chin Huat first”. Who’s gonna be second?

  41. #41 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 2:01 pm

    NR said, we no like ISA, want ISA out. And it’s OK, ‘cos we still have Sedition Act. Love it.

    There are lots of empty rooms in Kamunting after the recent for-show-only release. Need to have people living there. Hence WCH’s tangkap is necessary. WCH may be on his way to occupy one of the empty rooms in Kamunting.

  42. #42 by Loh on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 3:04 pm

    Did the police act on its own or acted under the guidance of the new Home Minister?

    It was said that WCH was arrested a few hours after a police report was made. The report certainly did not say that WCH was involved in murder, yet he was picked up so soon after the police report.

    There was or were statutory declarations reporting on crimes, murder no less, on a case which was actually being heard in the court. So the murder case was not hearsay, yet the police have not taken any action.

    The police was supposed to be a neutral body which has the duty of looking after the safety and security of the citizens. Yet the police had taken no action on the report of murder, though it found it proper to arrest a person furthest from the possibility of causing death to others. Does the police know its job?

    The action of WCH could at most be rated as political. Arresting WCH shows that police is partial to political parties, and it is taking active part in politics. A neutral party involves in politics under the payroll of the government should be charged for malfeasance, and the IGP should be sacked. But then the IGP follows the wishes of the government. Thus, the government has lost it moral authority to govern, and the party which controls the government is now at par with secret society. Malaysia now practices rule by law where the law is used against its adversary, and people from different political parties have different right before the law.

  43. #43 by ekompute on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 - 3:54 pm

    The New Straits Times reports that Wong’s arrest is linked to a press conference that he had called earlier that day where he urged the public to wear black the following day, claiming that the change in the Perak state administration is undemocratic and unconstitutional. But what is constitutional in Malaysia when Federal Justice Mohamed Suffian Mohamed Hashim has ruled in Assa Singh vs Menteri Besar of Johore (1969) that “even if the Enactment is contrary to the Constitution, the Enactment is not void.”

    All I know is as what Voltaire said in the 18th century: “It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.” Justice is a mockery in Malaysia, that’s all I know. Let’s for once be guided by the teachings of the Prophet, rather than make a mockery out of another field, religion.

  44. #44 by lopez on Thursday, 7 May 2009 - 9:26 pm

    this is demoncratic country……even judiaciary is silenced, even righteous dtk are silent…
    what has become of this nation with this ruling regime so called leaders of the nation leading us to do all the wrong things at the wrong time in a world so dire and fragile

    what went wrong …..how much more wrong is going to be done…

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