The Malaysian government should immediately and unconditionally release two journalists and an opposition politician arrested on September 12, 2008, under Malaysia's draconian Internal Security Act, Human Rights Watch said today. The Malaysian government should immediately and unconditionally release two journalists and an opposition politician arrested on September 12, 2008, under Malaysia's draconian Internal Security Act, Human Rights Watch said today. Police arrested Raja Petra Lamarudin, founder and editor of Malaysia Today, Malaysia's most popular website; Tan Hoon Cheng, a reporter for Sin Chew Daily; and Teresa Kok, an opposition Democratic Action Party parliamentarian from Seputeh in Kuala Lumpur. Under the Internal Security Act, anyone deemed to be a threat to national security can be detained indefinitely without charge or trial, violating international due process standards. The Malaysian government has repeatedly used the law to silence government critics and political opponents.

"The Malaysian government apparently thinks it can only maintain power by jailing journalists and opposition politicians," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Such tactics have no place in a modern democracy. The government should free these three people at once or risk irreparable harm to Malaysia's already fragile reputation."

HRW news