Malaysian police yesterday arrested three leading opposition politicians in a bid to thwart a protest march demanding the release of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, his People’s Justice Party said.
However, the protest went ahead with several hundred people taking to the streets of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, to denounce the government of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
The arrests are the latest in a growing tally of sedition charges leveled at government opponents amid anger over Anwar’s jailing last month on a sodomy charge.
Photo: AFP
“This is an abuse of the sedition law, and an abuse of everything. The government is acting maliciously,” lawmaker and party vice president Tian Chua said before his arrest.
The police had banned the rally and said participants faced arrest.
Demonstrators staged a short march through the city toward its convention center, where participants had vowed to disrupt wedding celebrations for Najib’s daughter.
Scores of police officers blocked them from the area and they later dispersed. There were no arrests or violent incidents reported.
Washington has been among the critics of Anwar’s conviction and the dissent crackdown, saying both raised rule-of-law concerns.
Anwar denies the charge that he sodomized a former male aide in 2008, saying it was fabricated by Malaysia’s long-ruling government to halt a run of opposition electoral gains.
Besides Tian Chua, the police yesterday also arrested opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party Deputy President Mohamad Sabu.
People’s Justice Party Vice President Rafizi Ramli was arrested on Friday.
It was not clear what charges the men — who were still in custody last night — would face.
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