Media figures detained as Malaysian government cracks down on sedition
Publisher, editor join scores of opposition activists arrested in crackdown
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 01 April, 2015, 3:53am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 01 April, 2015, 3:53am
Agence France-Presse in Kuala Lumpur
Ho Kay Tat (left), head of The Edge media group, was arrested along with Jahabar Sadiq (right), chief editor of the Malaysian Insider news portal which is owned by The Edge. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Malaysian police detained a prominent publisher and a website editor on sedition charges yesterday, the latest targets in a mounting tally of arrests that a senior opposition politician compared to an infamous 1987 political crackdown.
Ho Kay Tat, head of The Edge media group, was arrested along with Jahabar Sadiq, chief editor of the Malaysian Insider news portal which is owned by The Edge.
The latest detentions followed the arrests of scores of people in recent weeks for sedition or for assembly violations related to a series of demonstrations demanding the release of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim or other anti-government protests.
Three other Malaysian Insider editors had already been arrested on Monday over a seemingly uncontroversial news report involving the Muslim-majority country's royalty.
The Edge, however, has also published a string of reports on the murky dealings of a government-owned investment company whose board is chaired by Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Those reports - including questions over the whereabouts of huge sums of money - have stirred public outrage and deeply tarnished Najib's image.
In a statement issued before his arrest, Jahabar said the police actions "appear to go beyond just our reportage" on the story concerning the sultans.
"The Malaysian Insider will continue to report without fear or favour despite these arrests. It is business as usual," he said.
Facing sliding voter support over repressive tactics and corruption in his ruling coalition, Najib promised in 2011 to end the regime's authoritarian ways.
But he made an abrupt U-turn after another setback in 2013 elections in which the opposition won a majority of votes cast, launching a crackdown on free expression where dozens of opposition politicians, academics and activists were held last year on sedition and other charges.
Most spent no more than a few hours in custody before being released.
Senior opposition figure Lim Kit Siang called the recent spate of arrests a reign of "terror".
