Open Letter to Home Minister and IGP: We demand change immediately. Enough with harassing the messenger for speaking the truth!
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The climate for human rights defenders, artists, creatives, and the general public in Malaysia is becoming increasingly hostile. With the spectre of repressive laws jeopardizing one’s ability to work and speak out, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has been hitting the country hard, these actions by the police continue to pose a serious threat to our fundamental freedom of expression and artistic freedom. This year alone:
- Police questioned Freedom Film Network (FFN)’s co-founder Anna Har and animator Amin Landak and raided FFN’s office in Petaling Jaya and Amin’s home in Wangsa Maju over a short animation on alleged police brutality, titled ‘Chili Powder and Thinner’.
- Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) and Misi Solidarity were called up by the police over the same animation short as witnesses.
- Free Malaysia Today (FMT) journalists were summoned over their coverage of the same animation short.
- Three Malaysiakini journalists were summoned over their portal’s coverage of a death in police custody case.
- Gerakbudaya founder Chong Ton was questioned by the police over its publication of former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ memoir.
- Artist and activist Fahmi Reza was questioned numerous times by police over his satirical graphics depicting current happenings in Malaysia.
- Cartoonist and activist Zunar was questioned by the police over his satirical cartoon of the Kedah Menteri Baesar and his decision to cancel the Thaipusam public holiday.
The police appear to be going on a rampage by using laws such as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA), Sections 500 and 505(b) of the Penal Code, and the Sedition Act, and resorting to retaliatory investigations against human rights defenders, artists, journalists, and even netizens for speaking up and being critical of the police and other State actors. Their despicable tactics of intimidating and threatening people and using the law as a tool to investigate embody the attempts to shut down public participation and acts as a precedent towards an authoritarian State.
This table showcases a summary of freedom of expression cases in 2021
The constant harassment and intimidation tactics would further impede efforts to promote a conducive human rights environment, good governance and accountability, and transparency in Malaysia. Exercising censorship would further erode the country’s already fragile state of democracy.
We demand that the Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and the Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani act on the following with immediate effect:
- Stop all investigations and intimidation of individuals related to the “Chili Powder and Thinner” short film;
- Investigate allegations of brutality and custodial deaths documented in the film;
- Support accountability and justice. Set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) – a recommendation by the Royal Commission of Police 16 years ago!
The corruption that runs through our police system has plagued Malaysia for years, yet it still remains one of the biggest dangers to public safety and democracy that we face. It is the responsibility of every police officer and lawmaker to exercise their influence to the fullest extent in order to serve and protect everyone in this country.
We deserve a better Malaysia where everyone does not have to live in fear of speaking and seeking the truth!
