Opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail fears more from Pakatan Harapan will be dragged to the courts before the next general election.

This is the tactic adopted by the ruling party to continue to stay in power, she said, noting a spate of arrests and rising number of politicians and activists being summoned by police in relation to Bersih 5 rally.

This included the abuse of Security Offences (Special Measures) Act against Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah as well as the spread of Section 124C and Section 147 of Penal Code arrests used against opposition politicians and Bersih activists, according to the PKR president.

More than 23 politicians and activists have so far been arrested in connection with the Nov 19 Bersih 5 rally.

"Thus, it is not impossible that more politicians from the Harapan coalition will be dragged to the courts in the run-up to the next poll," she added.

The demand and support of the people who gathered every night at Dataran Merdeka and all over the country to protest Maria's arrest under Sosma, was among the reason she was released, according to Wan Azizah.

"Umno-BN government has broken its promise on Sosma to be used only against terrorists," she said.

"None of Umno-BN MPs dare to make a statement that Maria's detention under Sosma was appropriate and fair. They just make an excuse and said, 'Don't ask me, please ask others'," she said.

"Thus, the government will make a decision on Sosma's extension in March 2017 and we must be ready to face them in Parliament.

"Maria is not a terrorist, what happened to her should not happen to anyone. The national security should be preserved but the safety of the people should be upheld too," she argued.

Sosma has been criticised as a reincarnation of the Internal Security Act 1969 (ISA), a preventive detention law that was once liberally used on opposition leaders and activists.

Putrajaya has sought to extend the detention prevention power stipulated under Sosma for five years via a motion tabled in Parliament.

Increasingly hostile climate

Meanwhile, Members of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) welcomed the release of Maria.

APHR, however raised concern over the widening attacks on activists and political opponents and the increasingly hostile climate for civil society and opposition voices.

"We, (however) demand justice for Maria's arbitrary detention and maltreatment and a swift reversal of the government’s dangerous slide into authoritarianism,” said APHR chairperson Charles Santiago in a statement.

It cautioned that the persecution of government critics by Malaysian authorities continues and must be halted.

"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," he said.

Charles, who is Klang MP, condemned the arrest of cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, who is fondly known as Zunar.

"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," he said.

APHR urged Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to uphold his duty to protect the democratic system, including by ensuring space for pluralism and opening channels for dialogue with his detractors.