IFJ 04 August 2021
Malaysia: Riot police block opposition members from entering parliament
Opposition members of Malaysia’s parliament who marched to the parliamentary building on August 2 were met by a police blockade and threatened with arrests as they tried to enter the building to protest the parliament’s sudden closure. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges the Malaysian government to resume parliament. Malaysia opposition members march to parliament protesting its closure in Kuala Lumpur on August 2, 2021. Credit: Arif KARTONO / AFP
Opposition members protested the two-week lockdown of Malaysia’s parliament in Kuala Lumpur, which postponed the final day of the “special session”. The session commenced on July 26 and was scheduled to end on August 2. Protestors faced a wall of riot police, water cannons and threats of arrests from police who blocked the road to enter parliament.
April 24, 2021
Instagram/ airtangan tunkuazizah
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.
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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.
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