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Malaysian artist Fahmi Reza’s arrest for ‘insulting’ queen sparks backlash Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah and Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah pictured at Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur in 2019, as then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad looks on. Photo: AFP
The arrest of well-known Malaysian graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza for allegedly insulting the country s queen - who is under fire for a social media faux pas - has triggered an outcry among free speech advocates who say authorities are being trigger-happy in using the law to clamp down on satire.
The police action follows rare public condemnation of the country s revered royal families, with former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warning earlier in the week that the constitutional monarchs may be inadvertently bearing the brunt of frustration over the government s handling of the Covid-19 crisis.
Mahathir warns king Covid-19 emergency order is turning Malays against him asiaone.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from asiaone.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Mahathir warns king Covid-19 emergency order is turning Malays against him Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says the Covid-19 emergency order has turned the country into a ‘dictatorship’. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia s former leader Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday urged the country s king to revoke a Covid-19 state of emergency, saying the royal order - made in January on the advice of the government - was uncharacteristically turning the country s Malays against its royal families.
The emergency powers granted to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the suspension of parliament had transformed the country into a dictatorship , the 95-year-old said.