“It is concerning that Malaysia is continuing on the path of using state machinery to harass and intimidate opposition voices, including MPs, as part of an attempt to silence them.

“The government’s reaction to legitimate peaceful protests calling for accountability in public office should not be to harass those demonstrating, but instead investigate their concerns,” it said in a statement signed by Risa Hontiveros, a Philippines MP and an APHR member.

The statement was released in response to the questioning of PKR MPs Fahmi Fadzil (Lembah Pantai) and Maria Chin Abdullah (Petaling Jaya) by Dang Wangi police on Jan 28 for their involvement in a protest held outside the Parliament building on Jan 20.

The protest was organised by PKR youth members calling for Azam Baki, the top graft buster of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), to be suspended over alleged irregularities in the ownership of corporate shares and warrants.

The APHR statement also highlighted the announcement by the police that they had identified multiple individuals who had participated in a #TangkapAzamBaki rally in the capital on Jan 22. These individuals are opposition MPs, activists, and members of the public.

Hontiveros said demanding accountability and answers for corruption allegations was crucial in a democracy, and it should not be impeded by the authorities.

“We stand in solidarity with our fellow parliamentarians, and remind the Malaysian government that a police force should be used, not to harass and intimidate government critics, but to protect and respect the people’s right to protest and free speech.

“Authorities must immediately end these threats, and use the state apparatus to hold those in public office accountable to the people,” Hontiveros said.

She pointed out that legal harassment of opposition MPs in Malaysia had risen alarmingly alongside a wider crackdown on freedom of expression, quoting the Parliamentarians at Risk 2021 report produced by the APHR.