Malaysian King Makes Rare Thrust Into Politics
By James Hookway, The Wall Street Journal
Malaysia’s king made an unusual foray into the nation’s volatile political field by urging pro-democracy activists and political leaders to settle their differences before a major protest rally planned for later this week.
It was unclear whether the gesture would be enough to ease mounting tensions ahead of possible early elections.
The protesters Monday said they were reassessing whether to hold their July 9 march, organized to publicize demands for equal media coverage for all election candidates and for other electoral reforms, such as halting the past practice of people voting multiple times.
Police say they have arrested about 220 activists over the past week. They include six arrested twice—the second time Saturday—under an Emergency Ordinance that allows them to be held for 60 days without charge.
All are under investigation for plotting to overthrow the government and monarchy—some for wearing Che Guevara T-shirts, which are widely sold in street markets across Malaysiaand are popular among young tourists.
The group came under official scrutiny for demanding reforms in anticipation of elections being called by Prime Minister Najib Razak. Fresh elections are required under Malaysian law by spring 2013, but many analysts expect the prime minister to call them much earlier.
Malaysia’s constitutional monarch, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, on Sunday issued a rare statement asking both sides to step back from the brink of a broader conflict.
Although his official powers are limited, the king—who carries the title yang di-pertuan agong in Malay, or His Royal Highness— is seen by some residents as the highest embodiment of Malay political supremacy, adding weight to his advice.
“The fact is, street demonstrations bring more harm than good,” he said. “Instead, we should focus on our main objective to develop this country, and not create problems that will cause the country to lag behind.”
Malaysia’s predominantly Muslim Malay authorities call the proposed march an illegal act and argue that a multiethnic alliance of opposition parties is attempting to use it to bolster their momentumahead of the vote. Police officials have refused to provide permission for the demonstration to be held.
“Those who love rioting and chaos will take advantage of the situation. This is what we want to avoid,” Prime Minister Najib said Monday, according to Malaysia’s state-run news agency. He also said the government is willing to let protesters rally at a stadium instead of staging a march though the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s main city.
“Those who love rioting and chaos will take advantage of the situation. This is what we want to avoid,” Prime Minister Najib said Monday, according to Malaysia’s state-run news agency. He also said the government is willing to let protesters rally at a stadium instead of staging a march though the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s main city.
This multiethnic country has become increasingly fractured along racial lines in recent years, with the ruling National Front losing ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian voters to a broad-based opposition alliance. Economic problems are also beginning to grow, with inflation recently hitting its highest level in two years.
A rival group known as Perkasa, which is pro-ethnic Malay, is planning a counter-demonstration on July 9, stirring fears of clashes.
On Saturday, the government outlawed the organization behind the initial demonstration—Bersih, or “clean”—which isn’t officially registered. Bersih claims it is a coalition of existing registered organizations.
Bersih chairwoman Ambiga Sreenevasan denies the allegations. She also says the group is planning a legal challenge to the government’s ban of the group. “I think the authorities are caught in a time warp,” Ms. Ambiga, a 54-year-old ethnic-Indian and a former president of Malaysia’s Bar Council, said in a telephone interview. “Perhaps they are paranoid because of the protests in the Middle East, but it’s completely unnecessary. All we’re aiming for are clean elections.”
Amnesty International and other groups, such as Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, are urging the government to uphold Malaysians’ rights to hold peaceful demonstrations and to allow the Bersih march to proceed.
Political analysts say the government isn’t concerned about the Bersih march being a front for a subversive group, so much as it fears it will give opponents of Mr. Najib and his allies a boost ahead of any snap election.
The last time Bersih, formally known as the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, held a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur in 2007, tens of thousands of people turned out. The authorities responded by using water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. A few months later, the ruling National Front coalition lost its two-thirds majority in Malaysia’s Parliament for the first time in decades.
Mr. Najib took over the premiership in 2009 with the goal of halting the opposition’s momentum. Modest economic reforms have helped win back some support for the ruling United Malays National Front. Authorities also arrested the charismatic opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and tried him for allegedly breaking Malaysia’s strict sodomy laws, which he denies.
But analysts say Mr. Najib’s government still risks losing seats in Parliament to the opposition in the next elections.
“Traditionally the pattern in Malaysia is for the government to present civil society as the opposition,” said Bridget Welsh, a professor at the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University. She said this explained why police, pro-government groups and government-controlled newspapers are accusing Communist sympathizers or even foreign Christian groups of playing a key role in planning the July 9 march, which its organizers’ deny.
A handful of opposition politicians, meanwhile, are now challenging Malaysian authorities to arrest them, too, by wearing neckties, T-shirts or headscarves in yellow—the color of the Bersih campaign.
One member of Parliament, Lee Boon Chye, was arrested Thursday at a market in Ipoh, north of Kuala Lumpur, for wearing a plain yellow T-shirt. He was led away by police in handcuffs before being released later in the day.
“What democratic country arrests people for wearing yellow T-shirts?” Dr. Lee said.
