Police should uphold not curtail freedom of speech PDF Print E-mail
Local Alerts
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is concerned that police are preventing freedom of speech and freedom of association in preventing public talks by the Pakatan opposition alliance leader, Anwar Ibrahim. He was talking about his ongoing sodomy trial and criticising against the Federal government.

 

Local media reported that on 24 Jan, Anwar was giving a speech to five hundred people at the carpark lot of a public housing area in the capital city, when several police went up the stage and interrupted him. A video of the incident, posted on YouTube, showed police taking Anwar away and switching off the microphone. Police, however, did not arrest Anwar.

The incident exposes the police's clear disregard of their responsibility under the Malaysian Constitution to uphold the right to freedom of speech. The police chief who stopped Anwar was reported to justify his actions on the grounds that the speech was "political".

CIJ calls on the police to uphold laws that guarantee freedom of speech and assembly.

Issued by

Sonia Randhawa

Director

 

For more information please contact Wai Fong at 03 4023 0772


 
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