Pkr Polls Lawyer Sees Mahathir Era Parallels In Mcmc Probes

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A lawyer said he is experiencing a case of déjà vu after he was approached by three PKR members, who sought legal advice after purportedly being investigated by the MCMC over the online posts about the recent party election.
Ahmad Nizam Hamid said this appeared to be the state apparatus being used to intimidate and silence dissent, and drew parallels to similar tactics used during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.
“Intimidation and the use of the state apparatus to suppress free expression and criticism is a major sin in a nation striving to nurture democracy as both a practice and a way of life.
“Moreover, it contradicts the philosophy and principles outlined in the Madani framework,” said the Temerloh-based lawyer and former Pahang PKR strategy director.
He added that he, Saiful Izham Ramli, and other lawyers will be offering their services to those who have come under the MCMC’s scrutiny over the PKR election.
“We have over two decades of experience dealing with such issues, and today we stand ready to defend the right to freedom of expression, criticism, and differing views - especially for individuals facing intimidation by state agencies.
“This feels like a repetition of past experiences, when the country was engulfed in darkness as the voices of the people were silenced,” he said in a statement last night.
Multiple complaints
Earlier yesterday, former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli claimed he received multiple complaints over the past week involving enforcement actions against individuals for sharing personal opinions on the party elections – opinions that he stressed did not breach any laws.
Former PKR deputy president Rafizi RamliHe urged authorities to stop such intimidation immediately.
MCMC had reportedly responded to Rafizi by stating that it does not act on its own initiative, but only after receiving formal complaints.
“All actions taken by the MCMC must be based on verified information and are subject to legal provisions, including the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,” Free Malaysia Today quoted MCMC deputy managing director Zurkarnain Yasin as saying.
‘Not subversive’
Nizam said he was approached by the PKR members for legal advice separately over the past few weeks.
He said there are some similarities in their claims, including that they had made postings on X that are critical of the election process and certain candidates.
“Based on my observation, their posts were neither subversive nor related to the 3Rs (race, religion, royalty).
“Another pattern is the remarkable efficiency with which MCMC officers managed to ‘track them down’ – some even camped out in their cars outside (these individuals’) homes, searched for them at their workplaces, and one officer reportedly travelled all the way to Langkawi just to take a statement.
“While we may be impressed by the unusual efficiency of MCMC and police officers, at the same time, we must also recognise that these actions – deliberate, seemingly aimed at silencing dissent or even intimidating – by the state apparatus against ordinary citizens (who are also PKR members in this case) is heartbreaking,” he said. - Mkini

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