KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police yesterday arrested 15 people over a flash-mob protest held to build support for a planned June 22 opposition rally against alleged fraud in elections last month.
Those detained, who included opposition-aligned activists but also a 10-year-old boy, were held for disrupting public order in a busy shopping area of the capital Kuala Lumpur, media reports and opposition politicians said.
Malaysia’s long-ruling coalition was returned to power in May 5 elections that were the country’s closest ever.
The opposition insists vote fraud secured the win for the ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front), but Prime Minister Najib Razak has denied the charge.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has organised a string of post-election rallies nationwide demanding election reforms including an overhaul of an Election Commission it considers biased.
“Fifteen people including a 10-year-old boy who came along with his parents were arrested. The aim is to create fear among protestors and to intimidate them not to attend the mass rally next week,” said Tian Chua, vice-president of Anwar’s People’s Justice Party.
The flash-mob participants were detained after distributing leaflets urging people to come out on June 22.
The opposition so far has not produced evidence of widespread fraud, but has filed court petitions contesting the results in a number of constituencies.
Malaysian authorities have charged six people, opposition figures and activists, with sedition after they called on people to oppose the election outcome.
AFP
