In a statement today, the electoral reform group demanded their immediate release and condemned the police crackdown on Bersih leaders, activists and opposition politicians, and the use of an anti-terrorism law against Maria.

“We are especially shocked and disgusted with the blatant abuse of Sosma, a controversial law justified as a counter-terrorist measure, against an innocent citizen like Maria. This is a clear suppression of the citizens’ right to dissent and undermines parliamentary democracy,” the group’s steering committee said.

“The detention of Maria Chin Abdullah and others will only harden our determination to push for change,” they said.

Maria and Bersih secretariat member Mandeep Singh were arrested at the Bersih office on Friday.

Police arrested 17 others yesterday for various alleged offences relating to the Bersih 5 street rally in central Kuala Lumpur, in which tens of thousands of people took part.

The Bersih steering committee noted that Bersih 5 had ended peacefully and that Malaysians had shown that they had buried the spectre of the racial riots of May 13, 1969 despite the futile attempts of the Umno-affiliated Red Shirts movement to cause violence and fear.