By Ahmad Rozian
15 Jul 2011 | Wall Street Journal
Your editorial (“Crackdown 2.0 in Malaysia,” July 12) states that protesters in Kuala Lumpur have suffered “intimidation” and “repression” at the hands of the government in recent weeks. The truth is somewhat different.
Malaysians have a constitutional right to peaceful assembly and throughout the build-up to last weekend’s protest Prime Minister Najib Razak worked to find a solution that would allow Bersih to exercise that right. This included offering the use of a large-capacity stadium where the event could be held safely and without disrupting the lives and businesses of ordinary Malaysians.
Sadly the protest organizers chose to reject this offer, instead calling on supporters to assemble at a much smaller stadium “come what may,” despite the fact that it was unavailable.
Faced with thousands of people attempting to enter an unsuitable venue in a densely populated area, the police were forced to intervene to disperse the crowd, a task that was made more difficult by the presence of a small minority of protesters intent on violence.
It goes without saying that Malaysia’s police officers are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct, and any specific allegations of heavy-handed behavior will be thoroughly investigated. However, to claim that Saturday’s events mean Malaysia is not a “true democracy” is simply wrong. As the strong performance of opposition parties in the last general election demonstrates, the ballot box remains the most powerful force in Malaysian politics.
Ahmad Rozian
Undersecretary of Information
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Putrajaya, Malaysia