MP SPEAKS | BN’s repressive tactics, beginning with forcing DAP to hold a party re-election four years later after our last re-election in 2013, banning G25’s book and forcing political cartoonist Zunar to cancel his 'Ketawa Pink Pink' exhibition in Penang, is a harbinger of more oppression should BN win the coming 14th general elections.

Even though Penang is ruled by a Pakatan Harapan state government that promotes freedom of speech and artistic expression, there is no guarantee that Zunar can hold his exhibition featuring 50 pieces of his artworks due to alleged threats from his opponents.

Zunar said he was supposed to hold the event dubbed 'Ketawa Pink Pink' tomorrow on Beach Street, from 8am to 12pm, but was forced to cancel his cartoon exhibition in Penang because of alleged threats from a group from Umno Penang. Instead of holding their own cartoon exhibition, they had distributed posters urging their members to come and "visit" Zunar’s exhibition.

DAP can understand Zunar’s fear of physical intimidation when last year, his exhibition in Komtar resulted in not only Zunar being physically attacked by a Penang Umno Youth member, while the police arrested him under the Sedition Act. Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin should be ashamed of such behaviour of Umno Youth members, which Zunar had described as "very rowdy and aggressive".

DAP agrees that the banning of the book by G25, which is a collection of essays 'Breaking the Silence: Voices of Moderation - Islam in a Constitutional Democracy', is "illogical" and "utterly ridiculous", when the authorities failed to explain how the book is prejudicial to public order. This is not just another example of the Malaysian government suppressing free speech.

The BN government’s refusal to give reasons, lends suspicion that this is a naked abuse of power intended to send a chilling message and extract political capital in the run-up to the general election. G25 comprises former top civil servants, diplomats and pro-BN personalities such as Chandra Muzaffar. Chandra said the ban is an attempt to curb balanced, rational and open-minded thinking on matters pertaining to the practice of Islam in Malaysia and that the essays were not just about the practice of Islam, but about upholding the federal constitution.

Instead of banning books, civil action of defamation can always be filed if any party feels offended. Clearly BN is intent in maintaining Malaysia as both a kleptocracy and autocracy, with neither room for dissent nor protection for genuine whistleblowers of corruption at the highest levels.

LIM GUAN ENG is DAP secretary-general and Bagan MP.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.