Malaysian government fears anti-Taib protests

Malaysian government fears anti-Taib protests

Public anger at Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahumd on the rise -
police issue warning over protest rally announced for Sunday

Kuching, Malaysia. Weeks ahead of the elections in the Malaysian state
of Sarawak in Borneo, the Malaysian police are fearing public protests
against incumbent Abdul Taib Mahmud, one of the longest-serving and most corrupt politicians in South East Asia.

On Thursday, Sarawak State Police Commissioner Mohammed Salleh warned
the public against attending an anti-Taib protest rally announced for
Sunday in the state capital, Kuching. According to the Borneo Post,
those attending face "the risk of getting arrested for participating in
an illegal gathering". News about the planned protest had been spread
via SMS.

Taib Mahmud has recently come under fire for his family's excessive
wealth, which includes overseas assets worth hundreds of millions, if
not billions, of US dollars. Taib has been in power since 1981 and
simultaneously holds the offices of Chief Minister and Finance Minister,
as well as State Planning and Resource Management Minister of the
resource-rich state in Borneo.

The Taib family has profited immensely from the destructive logging of
Sarawak's tropical rainforests and today has a stranglehold over the
state's economy. Among the companies controlled by the Taibs are Achi
Jaya, which has a monopoly on log exports, and Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS),
a construction company which is routinely awarded public contracts
without open tender.

Malaysia does not grant its citizens either the freedom of assembly or
the freedom of association. The authorities are free to clamp down on
citizens under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows
for detention without trial or criminal charges.

ENDS

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