'Selective amnesia': Lawyers slam PH leaders after Chegubard arrested for 'flogging' Anwar

A group of rights lawyers has labelled the Anwar Ibrahim administration a "Jekyll and Hyde government" after a prominent anti-regime activist was arrested for a humorous side show during the "Turun Anwar" rally in which an effigy of the prime minister was publicly flogged.

Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) noted Badrul Hisham Shaharin was arrested under the Sedition Act even as government leaders praised themselves for upholding democracy by "allowing" the rally to take place.

"At the same time, police suddenly raided Chegubard’s house and picked him up, even though he was scheduled to meet them the next day. Is this a Jekyll and Hyde government? There is an Orwellian disjunct between the pleasant-sounding words of the Madani leaders and their swift suppression of dissent by police powers.

"The right to freedom of assembly is rendered meaningless if the public are subsequently arrested for exercising their freedom of speech and expression," said LFL director Zaid Malek.

Yesterday, police swooped on Badrul, the Port Dickson Bersatu division chief better known as Chegubard, even though he had earlier agreed to appear at Bukit Aman police headquarters today to give a statement related to a police report filed by government supporters.

Police have since confirmed that they are investigating Chegubard under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act for "insulting behaviour", Section 504 of the Penal Code for "intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace", as well as the Communications and Multimedia Act and Sedition Act.

Chegubard and another individual were arrested for staging a mock flogging of an effigy resembling Anwar during the Turun Anwar rally in Kuala Lumpur which attracted some 100,000 people last Saturday.

Videos of a group of crowd cheering every time the effigy was flogged were shared extensively on social media.

LFL, which has in the past criticised Anwar's Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition for a series of U-turns on promised reforms, reminded the authorities that Chegubard's action was "an entirely legitimate form of protest".

It said under the constitution, the PM has no special protection from criticism, ridicule or insults.

"There is no criminal offence in flogging an effigy at a protest. It is done to convey a message to the government of public discontent with the actions and policies of the government or PM," said Zaid, adding that the use of effigies, banners and caricatures was part of the exercise of democracy in public demonstrations.

Zaid said PH leaders were suffering from "collective amnesia", reminding them of how they had defended a clown caricature of former prime minister Najib Razak at the height of the 1MDB scandal.

"Because today, these same leaders are silent over the arrest of Chegubard under the Sedition Act for his exercise of freedom of expression in the 'Turun Anwar' rally," he added.

Zaid said that despite the government's claims of respecting democracy, various statements both before and after the rally showed otherwise.

"No amount of posturing can change the fact that the Madani government has shown little respect for democracy. They are claiming to uphold it, yet in the days leading up to the rally, the AGC and the Chief Secretary actively warned and threatened civil servants from joining the protest," he added.

"They boast that people can now protest without fear of reprisals under their rule, yet are quick to go after an activist who criticised the PM at the Saturday rally."

He further added that the government cannot claim to uphold democracy "as long as the Sedition Act remains in our criminal law".