Outspoken DAP MP for Tanjung Ng Wei Aik may be facing a police probe under the Sedition Act for an article published in the Chinese language media.

 

Penang MCA Youth deputy chief Ang Chor Keong lodged a report over Ng’s article in Kwong Wah Yit Poh on Feb 11.

 

Ng's commentary was on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II verdict and the Federal Court's decision to sentence Anwar to five years’ imprisonment.

 

Senior investigating officer ASP Sangkar Segaran from the Kepala Batas police department wants Ng to give his statement on Friday.

 

But Ng said he has instead requested that Sangkar meet him at his service centre in George Town.

 

Ng denied that his article titled 'Revival of Reformasi', where he reminisced about his experiences during the Reformasi era in 1998, was "seditious".

 

"I do not know what is so seditious about my article. I think MCA cannot differentiate anymore what is and what is not seditious," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

 

"I believe they have nothing better to do. Why do they want to play the kind of politics that Umno plays?” he asked.

 

'Reformasi' call seditious?

 

The Reformasi movement was sparked by Anwar's sacking as deputy prime minister by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamed.

 

In his article, Ng said Anwar is just another victim of the fighting between two political giants - Mahathir and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

 

He noted that Anwar was released by then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2004, after serving six years in jail for abuse of power related to the first sodomy case, because Abdullah did not see him as a threat.

 

Abdullah had before that secured a landslide victory at that year’s general election.

 

"We need rule of law, and not rule by law. We need policy change, and not fancy change," Ng had said in his article.

 

In it Ng urged the people not to feel demoralised by the court's verdict on Anwar but to shout the slogan of ‘Reformasi’ again until the next national polls, which will be called no later than Aug 2018.

 

"Let us not be misled by stupid politicians," Ng had said in his article.

 

Crackdown still widening

 

Ng joins the list of activists and opposition politicians who have been probed, questioned or arrested for criticising the court verdict on Anwar.

 

Last week, Penang executive council member Afif Bahardin had his statement recorded at the Bukit Aman police headquarters for the Sedition Act for his remarks in a news portal, which allegedly criticised the court judgement.

 

PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan, PKR central committee member Fariz Musa, activist Adam Ali Abdul Halim and cartoonist Zunar have also been detained for actions against the verdict.

 

These actions take place in a backdrop of what critics at home and abroad have called a “crackdown” against dissent using the Sedition Act and other laws that stepped up last year.