The government has clearly launched a crackdown similar to that of Operasi Lalang with the latest arrest of 156 voluntary patrol unit (PPS) members in Penang, Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says.

Just like the 1987 Operasi Lalang under which 107 people were detained under Dr Mahathir Mohamad's rule, Anwar said, this crackdown is "protracted and meant to intimidate" the people.

"Clearly the trend is such. You (the government) are going after everybody who is seen to be effective in expressing their views," the PKR de facto leader said when met in Permatang Pauh yesterday.

"If this continues unabated, particularly when it affects members of the opposition, this will not augur well for the state or country, particularly so on this auspicious Merdeka Day," he added.

Anwar said PPS was a state organised effort to combat crime and to generate interest in volunteerism among the youth and it should be supported by the police and the federal government.

Formed in 2011, the PPS has 299 teams and 9,002 members across the state, and its main duties are urgent response to disasters and community service.

"And if the police have any issues they want to raise regarding the PPS, they should negotiate and not proceed to arrest, especially after they took part in the Merdeka March yesterday," added the Permatang Pauh MP.

Anwar was referring to the arrest of 156 people, including Penang executive councillor member and PPS chairperson Phee Boon Poh by police.

20 aged 60 and above released on police bail

They are currently being held at the Northeast District Police headquarters on Jalan Patani, awaiting their remand orders, while seven women and 13 members aged 60 and above (senior citizens) are released on police bail this morning.

Police are investigating the group under Section 43 of the 1966 Societies Act, which includes charges of being involved in illegal activities related to secret societies.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar (right) defended his action, saying PPS is an illegal entity as it was not registered with the Registrar of Societies.

Anwar also condemned what he described as the "dastardly act" of an unidentified individual throwing Molotov cocktail into the residence of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at 11.45pm on Sunday. The bomb exploded in the car park.

"I urge the police to take swift action to show their professionalism and act against the perpetrators of this heinous crime," Anwar said after officiating the ground-breaking ceremony of an Islamic school in Cangkat Jering.

Flimsy charges

He said the spate of sedition charges against opposition leaders and the hurling the home-made bomb into Lim's residence is cause of concern for citizens.

"As for the Sedition Act, it is the issue of rule of law in the country, it is clearly an abuse of such punitive draconian Acts, to intimidate the opposition, to harass them and drag them to face the charges in court," he said.

"If the issue is sedition, then it is hypocritical because nobody with the right and sound mind will agree on the use of such filmsy charges against the opposition, when clear racist statements by religious bigots are not acted upon just because they support BN and Umno," he added.

"I cannot accept this argument by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (right), who pushed the blame on the attorney-general (for the spate of arrests under the Sedition Act). They (the government) must be responsible for it," he stressed.

Although Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has promised to repeal the Act in July 2012, to date, several opposition leaders including MPs Tian Chua (Batu), Rafizi Ramli (Pandan) N Surendran (Padang Serai) have been arrested and charged under the law.

Surendran was charged twice for his comments on Anwar's Sodomy II case, the appeal of which will be heard in the Federal Court in October.

Anwar has been sentenced to five years’ jail on his second sodomy charge and has been granted a stay of execution of sentence pending the appeal.


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