Kuala Lumpur, 2 August 2021: The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) urges Malaysian authorities to stop intimidation tactics against organisers of  #Lawan protest, which peacefully took place on July 31st 2021.

“The #Lawan protest is a manifestation of a functioning democracy in Malaysia. In any democracy, expression of dissent is a fundamental right. The protest was peaceful, with SOPs being adhered to and cooperation was given to the authorities. The police should not intimidate peaceful protestors and must always uphold the constitutional rights of our citizens”, says Tricia Yeoh, CEO of IDEAS.

IDEAS views multiple questioning towards the organisers as a clear intimidation tactic targeted towards Malaysians for exercising their constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms of expression and assembly. In particular, an arrest, interrogation and overnight lock-up of youth activist Sarah Irdina on 29 July 2021 was also a highly unnecessary intimidation tactic.

“The citizens are guaranteed the freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in the Federal Constitution. By reverting to a past era in which public agencies and apparatuses of government were used to demonstrate the heavy hand of the State, the authorities are sending a clear message that any form of dissent is not to be tolerated. We expect that all international indices that track democratic freedoms will see Malaysia slide back into exemplifying authoritarianism in Malaysia. We are concerned that these trends will be extremely difficult to reverse in the future, which will also dampen business sentiment that depends on robust and democratic institutions”, concludes Yeoh.

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For enquiries, please contact:
Zokhri Idris, Ph.D, Director, External Relations
T: +603 2070 8881/8882 | E: zokhri@ideas.org.my