Is Malaysia’s new government using Najib’s old playbook to stifle dissent?
- There has been a spate of police probes into voices critical of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration, including opposition politicians
- Critics say the moves are reminiscent of disgraced ex-premier Najib Razak’s reign, during which dozens of activists and politicians were charged with sedition
In recent weeks, police investigations have been launched against several top opposition politicians and an anti-corruption activist, as well as several unionists protesting alleged labour abuses by a company linked to the nation’s sovereign wealth fund.
Most recently, former deputy minister Hannah Yeoh – who is part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition that previously governed the country – said she had been called in by the police over a tweet in which she asked about the status of the country’s action plan to end child marriage, a long-standing issue in Malaysia.
According to the police, Yeoh is being investigated for statements bringing about public mischief and improper use of network facilities – a catch-all clause under the Communications and Multimedia Act often used in the past to clamp down on “fake news”.
Yeoh’s colleague Xavier Jayakumar, an ex-minister, is being investigated under the colonial-era Sedition Act for calling the country’s recent day-long parliamentary sitting “rubbish”.
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Mahathir Mohamad on Malaysia’s politics, US-China relations and the pandemic
Also this week, the nation’s attorney general filed an application to launch contempt of court proceedings against news portal Malaysiakini over reader comments on a story.