Parliamentarians from across South-East Asia today welcomed the release of Malaysian human rights defender Maria Chin Abdullah, but cautioned that the persecution of government critics by Malaysian authorities continues and must be halted.

Members of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) argued that Maria’s arrest and detention, among other developments, such as the recent arrest of well-known cartoonist Zunar, highlighted the need for action to address widening attacks on activists and political opponents and the increasingly hostile climate for civil society and opposition voices.

“We are delighted that authorities decided to free Maria. However, this is not the end of the matter. We demand justice for her arbitrary detention and maltreatment and a swift reversal of the government’s dangerous slide into authoritarianism,” said APHR chairperson Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian Parliament.

“Maria’s detention under anti-terrorism legislation was both ludicrous and frightening. But hers is far from the only case of authorities detaining and harassing critics. The politicised use of the security forces and the courts to try to intimidate critics and stomp out dissent is appalling and must not be tolerated.”

Maria Chin Abdullah, chairperson of Bersih 2.0, a movement for free elections and clean government in Malaysia, was released yesterday, Nov 28, after 11 days in detention under the Security Offenses (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), a law intended for use in cases involving terrorism suspects. During her detention, she was held in solitary confinement in a small cell with no windows.

Her release came the day before the ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno) begins its five-day annual general assembly.

Notwithstanding her release, Malaysian authorities have continued to target civil society and others critical of the government. A few hours before her release, the office of Empower, a women’s rights organisation co-founded by Maria, was raided by police invoking Sosma, reportedly in relation to an investigation under Article 124C of the Penal Code.

Maria’s release also came just two days after famed cartoonist Zunar, also known as Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, was arrested under the 1948 Sedition Law and Article 504 of the Penal Code on 26 November. He was released the following day but still faces nine separate charges. His arrest on Saturday was the latest in a pattern of judicial harassment against him as a result of his criticism of the ruling government, APHR said.

“The abuse of legal avenues to detain and harass Maria, Zunar, and other individuals represents a crude attempt to silence legitimate opposition voices,” Charles Santiago said. “The government should consider the dangerous consequences of co-opting arms of the state to go after political opponents. In doing so, it is undermining critical democratic institutions.”

As members of parliament from both opposition and ruling parties across South-East Asia, APHR urged Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to uphold his duty to protect the democratic system, including by ensuring space for pluralism and opening channels for dialogue with his detractors.