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COMMENT | Democracy's shackling in Malaysia

COMMENT | The Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled a crisis for democracy around the world. Since the coronavirus outbreak began, the condition of democracy and human rights has grown worse in many countries. Governments have responded by engaging in abuses of power, silencing their critics and weakening or shuttering important institutions, often undermining the very systems of accountability needed to protect public health.

The crisis of democratic governance, having begun long before the pandemic, is likely to continue after the health crisis recedes as the laws and norms being put in place now will be difficult to reverse.

Government abuse of power is one of the major issues most affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Officials and security services perpetrated violence against civilians, detained people without justification, and overstepped their legal authority. Governments are also using the pandemic as a justification to grant themselves special powers beyond what is reasonably necessary to protect public health.

They have then exploited these emergency powers to interfere in the justice system, impose unprecedented restrictions on political opponents and undermine crucial legislative functions.

There is also evidence of action by authorities against opposition politicians and civilians. Charges, detentions and arrests linked to the pandemic response were noted in some of the countries. Covid-19 is used as an opportunity to further repress political activists, rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, doctors etc. Double standards could be seen in the implementation of laws pertaining to the pandemic.

At the same time, parliaments have been hamstrung by health restrictions and emergency laws, and at times manipulated for political purposes. Countries have declared emergency or military rule, citing the need to curb the proliferation of Covid-19. Such abuses may reflect a government’s ...

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