Opposition leader held under Sedition Act

Opposition leader held under Sedition Act

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian police said on Tuesday they were investigating a detained opposition leader for sedition following his alleged call for mass protests to topple Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government.

Mohamad Ezam Mohamad Nor, a former political secretary to jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, was arrested late on Monday. He strongly denies making the call, saying he was misquoted by a pro-government newspaper.

Police will seek a court order Wednesday to remand Ezam in custody for further investigations, the official Bernama news agency reported.

"Police are viewing seriously the claim and the fact that Ezam was reported to be planning a mammoth street demonstration daily throughout the country," said Mohamad Bakri Zinin, police chief for the capital's Dang Wangi district.

"Street demonstrations are illegal. We will investigate under the Sedition Act. Whatever action is unlawful... we will take necessary action," Bernama quoted him as saying.

Ezam's reported statement threatened internal security, he added.

In signs of a possible new crackdown on anti-government protests, Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi likened Ezam's reported intentions to those of the communists during the 1948- 1960 insurgency.

"The communists brought about chaos... burnt buses, trains and destroyed property with the intention of toppling the government and forming a new government," he said.

Abdullah said Ezam was arrested "not for his political differences, but because of the words he uttered."

Deputy national police chief Jamil Johari warned Monday police would "act sternly" against demonstrations. They used water cannon and tear gas twice last month to disperse protests -- which are illegal in Malaysia without an official permit.

Sedition is punishable by up to three years' jail or a fine or both. Three opposition figures including one of Anwar's lawyers have been charged under the act in the past 14 months.

Two are still on trial while one was found guilty and fined. Ezam is youth chief of the National Justice Party (Keadilan) headed by Anwar's wife. He was detained after Sunday's edition of Utusan Malaysia quoted him as saying that Keadilan would stage mass street demonstrations to topple the government.

Ezam says he spoke only of planned nationwide peaceful protests against alleged corruption and cronyism and made no mention of trying to oust the government.

It was not clear how long police would seek to hold Ezam before possibly charging him. Mohamad Bakri could not be reached for comment.

The Alternative Front opposition alliance, which includes Keadilan, said the police action was based on a report published in a newspaper "that everybody knows is a tool of the government."

Its spokesman Rustam Sani said in a statement the government was using "controlled" media "to doctor news and to publish false reports -- and based on such false news reports police arrests would be carried out."

Ezam, in a statement shortly before his arrest on Monday, accused Mahathir of using the media "to create a climate of fear just to distract Malaysians from the bigger issues of corruption and abuse of power."

Demonstrations, once rare here, have become more and more common since Mahathir sacked his heir apparent Anwar in September 1998.

Anwar was later convicted of abuse of power and sodomy and jailed for a total of 15 years in what he says was political persecution. The government denies any political motive.

Ezam, 34, is already on trial under the Official Secrets Act for releasing Anti-Corruption Agency reports of investigations into two government supporters.

He also faces two charges punishable with jail over an incident during a by-election last November which the government lost.