Arrests at Brickfields
The 15 individuals and 5 lawyers arrested outside of Brickfields district police station last night (7 May 2009) have not yet been released.
SUARAM has received information that the five lawyers, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, Shuhaini Safwan, Murni Hidayah, Puspawati Rosman and Ravinder Singh, are being detained at Travers police station and the other 15 individuals are being detained at Pantai police station. Puspawati Rosman is also a SUARAM Secretariat member.
Arrest at Penang
Meanwhile, Ng Eng Kiat who was arrested at a vigil organised by SUARAM Penang last night was released at 12.10pm today. He is released under police bail. He was arrested and investigated under Section 141 of the Penal Code and Section 4 of the Sedition Act.
Arrests at Kuching
The 11 individuals, including Padungan state assemblyperson Dominique Ng, who were arrested yesterday for holding a candlelight vigil at Kuching were released at 2.00am this morning.
Arrests at Perak
The 69 individuals arrested at Ipoh yesterday were all released in batches with the last few persons released at around 10.00pm. 10 of the 69 individuals were elected representatives. They were arrested for illegal assembly and breaching a court order which prohibited a gathering near the state secretariat and were released on police bail. According to Malaysiakini (7 May 2009), one of them was arrested for sedition.
SUARAM condemns the police for their ongoing attacks and intimidation on freedom of expression and right to assembly, fundamental rights which are guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
We demand the police to release the 20 individuals immediately and unconditionally. We also demand that police stop harassing the Malaysian people from exercising their rights to assembly and stop the assault on freedom of expression.
Released by,
Temme Lee
Coordinator
Background
Wong Chin Huat, an academic and activist of polls reform group, the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (BERSIH), was arrested by police yesterday (5 May 2009), under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act. Wong is believed to have been arrested in connection to a press conference held in the morning of 5 May 2009, where he urged all Malaysians to wear black in protest of the Barisan Nasional’s takeover of Perak state government from Pakatan Rakyat, a move seen by many as unconstitutional. He has been remanded for three days until 8 May 2009.
On 6 May 2009, 14 individuals, including two SUARAM coordinators, were arrested during a candlelight vigil outside Brickfields district police station. They were gathering to show support to Wong Chin Huat who was arrested under Sedition Act. They were released a few hours later after their particulars were taken by the police.
On 7 May 2009, for the second continuous night, a candlelight vigil was held by civil citizens at the Brickfields police to show support for Wong Chin Huat. 20 individuals were arrested, of which 5 were lawyers who were there to represent the 14 individuals arrested earlier.
At the same time, SUARAM Penang organised “Democracy’s First Candlelight Vigil” in Penang. The emcee of the event, Ng Eng Kiat, was arrested after the group dispersed. He is being investigated under Section 141 of the Penal Code and Section 4 of the Sedition Act.
Simultaneously, a candlelight vigil was held at Kuching and Padungan state assemblyperson Dominique Ng along with 10 PKR members were arrested.
We strongly urge the police to release all individuals arrested immediately and unconditionally.
We also demand that police stop harassing the Malaysian people from excising their rights to assembly and stop the assault on freedom of expression.
Urgent action needed:
Please write protest letters to the government and the police to express your strongest condemnation of the arrests and the ongoing denial of rights of expression. Please also demand the Malaysian government for the immediate and unconditional release of all activists.
Your protest letters should be sent to:

1. OCPD ACP Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Talib
IPD Brickfields
Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah
Brickfields
Polis Diraja Malaysia
Jalan Tun Sambanthan
50470 Kuala Lumpur
Tel:03-22740222
Fax: 03-22730885
2. Ketua Balai
Balai Polis Pantai
Polis Diraja Malaysia
Jalan Pantai Baru,
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-22822222 / 22824786
3. Ketua Balai
Balai Polis Travers
Polis Diraja Malaysia
Jalan Travers,
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-22824222/ 22822207

4. Inspector-General of Police
Tan Sri Musa Hassan
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia ,
50560 Bukit Aman,
Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia .
Tel: +603 2262 6015
Fax: +603 2272 5613

5. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak,
Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Prime Minister’s Office,
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building ,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62502 Putrajaya , MALAYSIA
Tel : 603-8888 8000
Fax : 603-8888 3444
E-Mail: [email protected]. my
SAMPLE LETTER
[Letterhead of your organization]
Prime Minister,
Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak,
Prime Minister’s Office,
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building ,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62502 Putrajaya , MALAYSIA
Tel : 603-8888 8000
Fax : 603-8888 3444
E-Mail: [email protected]. my
Dear Sir,

Re: Release those 20 Individuals Arrested during Two Separate Vigils
We are writing to you, once again, to express our outrage and our strongest condemnation over your government’s ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression.
We are appalled by your government and the police’s latest actions and view this as yet another attempt by your government to intimidate Malaysian citizens from exercising their freedom to express their views.
We demand that the 20 individuals should be released immediately and unconditionally. We further demand that your government stops the assault on freedom of expression.
We strongly urge you, once again, to stop bringing shame to Malaysia, a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. We would like to remind you that freedom of expression and assembly is guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]