September 23, 2012
KUALA
LUMPUR, Sept 23 ― Outrage at Putrajaya’s clampdown on Suara Rakyat
Malaysia (SUARAM) appears to have given a major boost to civil society
activism here, likely affecting the Najib government’s bid for votes
from middle Malaysia ahead of an election expected soon.
The human rights watchdog has been instrumental in the French probe
on Malaysia’s multibillion ringgit purchase of two Scorpene submarines, a
high-profile scandal that many believe will unearth incriminating
evidence against top government officials here.
Global rights group Amnesty International had yesterday raised
suspicion over the timing of the government’s sudden interest in
SUARAM’s operations and funding sources, saying the probe was opened
only four weeks after the organisation revealed documents showing a
close associate to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had allegedly
sold Malaysian naval secrets to the French.
A new citizen group has now sprouted, joining the burgeoning of other
civil society movements nationwide in a campaign to help SUARAM keep
the Scorpene scandal in the limelight.
Calling themselves the “Scorpene Never Dies” Action Team, the group
of youths and “concerned citizens” has demanded that the Najib
administration stop its “politically-motivated” investigation against
SUARAM.
Team coordinator Ng Yap Hwa said this was a poignant moment for
Malaysians as their failure to band together to protect SUARAM would
only encourage the government to continue to quell public dissent.
“We feel we need to stand by Suaram in this critical time.
“If we as citizens don’t rally behind a human rights defender, the
government could easily clamp down... no more people can stand by us in
the future,” he said.
The team is organising a one-hour candlelight vigil next Tuesday at
the historic Merdeka Square in the city centre here where several other
protests fuelled by civil society activism have taken place recently.
The team has also urged Malaysians nationwide to hold simultaneous
events next week to record their disdain for the alleged harassment
against SUARAM.
Ng said that if members of the public keep silent now, “we will be the next (victim)” one day.
He said that to “defend Suaram and to stand by Suaram” is for everyone’s benefit.
Ng added that the team would not be applying for a police permit for
its 8pm event at the historic Merdeka square, as it was every
individual’s “constitutional right” to have a peaceful assembly.
“Let us spread the Scorpene submarines issue far and wide to express
our solidarity with the human rights defender, thereby warning the
government that even if it could keep down SUARAM, the Scorpene
submarines issue would never die and we would carry on the struggle to
uncover the truth of the Scorpenes scandal and uphold justice for
Altantuya,” the group said in a statement.
SUARAM recently came under close scrutiny of the Companies Commission
of Malaysia (CCM) due to its foreign funding sources and the government
agency said earlier this week that it plans to charge the activist
group for its “misleading accounts”.
The human rights NGO has been actively pursuing the Scorpene scandal
in the French courts, determined to expose the government of alleged
corruption in the purchase multibillion submarines in 2009 and possibly
reopen the murder case of Mongolian model Altantuyaa Shaariibuu, which
is said to be linked to the deal.
In April this year, the Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris began its
inquiry into Suaram’s claim that the French naval firm DCNS had paid
some RM452 million as a bribe to Malaysian officials to obtain a
contract for two submarines. Suaram had filed the complaint with the
French courts in 2009.
At a May 30 press conference in Bangkok, SUARAM’s French lawyer
Joseph Breham had revealed that a highly-document government document on
the Malaysian navy’s evaluation of the Scorpene submarines it planned
to buy was sold by Terasasi (Hong Kong) Ltd to DCNS for RM142 million.
Abdul Razak Baginda, a former think-tank head who was at the centre
of the 2006 investigation into Altantuya’s murder, is listed as a
director of Terasasi with his father, Abdul Malim Baginda. Abdul Razak
is said to be a close associate to Najib.
“It was a secret document by the Malaysian navy, an evaluation for
the order of the submarines, which is a highly confidential report,”
Breham had said at the conference.
A total of 138 local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and 56
regional NGOs recently pledged their support for SUARAM, calling for a
stop to the “harassment” while the group has also launched its own
“Stand up for SUARAM” campaign to garner public support.
Dataran Merdeka has this year seen two rallies by civil society - the
April 28 sit-in protest for elections reform by the Bersih 2.0 movement
and the Janji Demokrasi pre-Independence Day rally.
Unhappiness over environmental issues such as the Lynas rare earth plant in Kuantan has also prompted rallies.
Najib recently wrote to young voters in Selangor, asking them to
consider if a “confrontational” approach would be the best way to solve
problems and push for reforms.
His administration had passed the Peaceful Assembly Act earlier this
year, a legislation which is said to allow freedom of assembly in
accordance with “international norms”.
Barisan Nasional (BN) insiders have said that several recent surveys
show that the coalition needs to work harder to get a convincing victory
in the coming polls especially with some 2.2 million voters casting
ballots for the first time. The next general election is only due after
April 2013 when BN’s mandate expires.
It is understood that the compilation of surveys had revealed that BN
could win up to 146 parliamentary seats with at least 80 sure wins,
more than the 140 won in Election 2008.
Najib’s approval rating from the Chinese and Indian communities had
slipped after the government’s highly-criticised clampdown on the April
28 Bersih 3.0 rally although the latest survey by pollster Merdeka
Center showed the leader’s percentage points climb to 69 per cent,
largely due to a surge of support from poorer Malaysians.
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