UPROAR OVER INTERNAL SECURITY ACT AS UMNO DEBATES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KUALA LUMPUR 000810 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP PHNOM PENH AND VIENTIANE PASS TO DAS SCOT MARCIEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2018 TAGS: PGOV KDEM KJUS MY SUBJECT: UPROAR OVER INTERNAL SECURITY ACT AS UMNO DEBATES ABDULLAH'S TRANSITION PLAN REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 806 ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 805 ¶C. KUALA LUMPUR 787 ¶D. KUALA LUMPUR 604 Classified By: POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MARK D. CLARK FOR REASON 1.4 (B AND D). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Malaysian authorities' September 12 arrest of three persons under the Internal Security Act (ISA) created an uproar across the political spectrum, resulting in the release of one detainee the following day and the September 15 offer of resignation of de facto legal reform minister Zaid Ibrahim. Following condemnation by ethnic Chinese cabinet members and party leaders within Prime Minister Abdullah's National Front (BN) government, police on September 13 released newspaper reporter Tan Hoong Chen, who had reported racist remarks by a local leader of PM Abdullah's United Malays National Organization (UMNO). Prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and MP Teresa Kok both remain under ISA arrest, which allows for detention without trial. Anwar Ibrahim and other Opposition leaders condemned the UMNO-led government as "despotic" and expressed their hope that they themselves would not be the next target for ISA detention. Local and international media carried U.S. Embassy and State Department statements in support of basic freedoms, and noted that the Malaysian Charge in Washington had been convoked, prompting Foreign Minister Rais Yatim to state he would summon the Ambassador, although we have not received any official word from the MFA. Amidst this maelstrom, the UMNO Supreme Council will meet on September 18 on PM Abdullah's transition plan, an important test for both Abdullah and opponents trying to unseat the Prime Minister by the December party polls. End Summary. Three Arrests -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Police followed the September 12 arrest of Raja Petra Kamaruddin (ref A) by detaining two others under ISA that evening. Police detained Tan Hoong Chen, the newspaper reporter for a prominent Chinese-language daily that recently broke the story of UMNO Penang warlord Ahmad Ismail's caustic racist comments (ref B),which grew into a crisis within the BN governing coalition last week. Later the police detained opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) MP Teresa Kok, who 
faced unsubstantiated allegations she had called for mosques to tone down their calls to prayer. Kok denied the allegations, which came from state-level UMNO leaders and UMNO-linked organizations, and one of the mosques in question issued a statement to deny the rumors. Immediate Outcry -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The ISA arrests, particularly that of the reporter Tan, met with an immediate outcry across the political spectrum. Leaders from UMNO's major ethnic Chinese partner, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA),and the Chinese-led Gerakan party condemned police use of the ISA to detain Tan while the UMNO leader who made the inflammatory remarks remained free and unrepentant. At least three Cabinet ministers (MCA's Ong Tee Keat and Ng Yen Yen, joined by UMNO's de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim from UMNO) made statements criticizing the misuse of ISA, and brought into question whether Malaysia should continue to employ such a heavy-handed law. Other senior BNpoliticians offered more qualified public criticism. Government Releases Tan; PM Defends Raja Petra's Arrest -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In the face of withering public criticism from within the government's own ranks, police released Tan on September 13, some 18 hours after taking her into custody. Home Minister Syed Hamid issued a public explanation, claiming police had only detained Tan for her own protection, KUALA LUMP 00000810 002 OF 004 a justification not provided for under the ISA itself and which met which ridicule among commentators and Embassy contacts. The government has not hinted at the prospect of immediate release for Kok and Raja Petra. Kok's family told journalists the government intended to hold her for a total of 30 days. The Prime Minister strongly defended Raja Petra's ISA detention, saying the government thoroughly studied the matter before the arrest. In the application of the ISA, "the government always means business, we don't joke around." Media Carries Criticism -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Malaysian mainstream media, even those under heavy direction by UMNO, carried the ISA criticisms along with the GOM explanations. Editorials questioned the continued appropriateness and usefulness of the ISA. For example, The New Straits Times, which commonly takes its lead from UMNO and the Prime Minister's office, shifted its editorial stance. On September 13, the NST called the ISA "forceful and effective," while on September 15 the paper's editorial stated that ISA has served a critical purpose in the past, but now "has either out-served its usefulness or is being desperately mismanaged." Opposition Leaders Slam ISA, Hope They are Not Next -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Anwar Ibrahim and the opposition People's Alliance (Pakatan) used the ISA arrests to attack the UMNO-led government as "despotic," and to highlight divisions within BN. In a joint statement, the leaders of three Pakatan parties said the ISA detention, particularly of Tan, was "proof of UMNO's incessant manipulation of the racial sentiment to raise fear among the people." The party leaders also expressed their hope that, "the government action is not a beginning of mass arrest of opposition leaders" as an attempt to thwart Pakatan's goal of toppling the government this month. Anwar Ibrahim and his PKR party will stage a mass rally this evening in a stadium outside Kuala Lumpur, an event intended to play out on the eve of Anwar's September 16 deadline to bring down Abdullah's government. Anwar has said the rally will feature calls for the government to release Kok and Raja Petra. Organizers hope for some 30,000 to attend. Cabinet Minister Resignation; PM Rejection -------------- ¶7. (C) De facto legal reform minister Zaid Ibrahim offered his resignation on the afternoon of September 15 after voicing his strong disapproval of the use of the ISA, according to widespread local media reports. Zaid's remarks against ISA had received a strong rebuke from Home Minister Syed Hamid. Poloff spoke on September 15 with a key aide to Zaid, who explained she had helped Zaid draft argumentation against use of the ISA in advance of Zaid's meeting with the Prime Minister later in the day. Zaid, who has received little support within UMNO for the legal reform agenda, also has been frustrated at the grassroots level where he has been outmaneuvered and prevented from contesting for a division leadership slot. Later on September 15, sources in the Prime Minister's Office reportedly told reporters that Abdullah had rejected Zaid's resignation and asked him to take two weeks leave instead. Zaid has yet to comment on the matter as of this writing. FM to Summon Ambassador -------------- ¶8. (SBU) International and local media reported the Department and Embassy statements related to the ISA detentions and in support of basic freedoms, including the Department's calling in of the Malaysian Charge in Washington. Reacting to these reports, Foreign Minister Rais Yatim was reported in the local press to have said late on September 14 that he plans to summon the Ambassador to discuss the issue and would raise the detention of two Malaysian nationals at Guantanamo Bay. The MFA has yet to KUALA LUMP 00000810 003 OF 004 contact the Embassy in this regard. UMNO Debates Transition, Again -------------- ¶9. (SBU) In the midst of the uproar over ISA, the monthly UMNO Supreme Council meeting of September 18 is gearing up to be a critical next step in the party's ongoing leadership struggle. UMNO leaders are set to once again take up Abdullah's plan to hand over to Najib in June 2010. Over the past week various UMNO leaders, including Najib himself and UMNO VP Muhyiddin Yassin, reopened the question of Abdullah's transition plan. Abdullah has defended the plan as a done deal already endorsed by the UMNO Supreme Council and the Cabinet, and necessary "to put an end to political uncertainty after the March 8 general election." UMNO leaders reopening the question of the transition plan has become a proxy for supporting Abdullah's early departure. Najib and others have said that the UMNO divisions should endorse the plan during division elections that begin October 9, while leaders like Muhyiddin have offered more direct suggestions that Abdullah step down soon. ¶10. (SBU) The UMNO Supreme Council members appear divided on the transition plan. UMNO Women Chief Rafidah Aziz criticized Muhyiddin for raising the issue in public and "belittling the leadership." Negeri Sembilan Chief Minister Mohamed Hassan described Muhyiddin's statement as "a friend back stabbing a friend" and suggested that Muhyiddin should quit "if you don't like the boss, and not ask the boss to quit." Other UMNO Supreme Council members including Sabah UMNO Chief Musa Aman, Tourism Minister Azalina Othman, Higher Education Minister Khalid Nordin have backed the Prime Minister against Muhyiddin's criticism. ¶11. (C) A number of important UMNO leaders, however, are straddling the fence. UMNO Vice President Ali Rustam, Information Chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib and Youth Chief Hishamuddin (who is also Najib's cousin) stated that the UMNO Supreme Council must take into account the views of the party rank-in-file. Ali Rustam stated that although the UMNO Supreme Council had endorsed the plan, "the UMNO divisions have the right to decide on the plan at the divisional meetings." Hishamuddin added that the party leadership "cannot ignore the views of the grassroots" adding that the party has to change and not "be blind and deaf to message given during the last general election." Several UMNO divisions from Muhyiddin's home state of Johor have also endorsed the UMNO vice Presidents view that the UMNO divisions must have a say on the transition plan. In a related development, Muhyiddin stated on September 15 that he will not resign from his Cabinet post as demanded by his Cabinet colleagues for asking PM Abdullah to reconsider the 2010 power transition plan. He added that what he had said was not wrong as he was voicing his opinion and the "viewpoint of the grassroots party members." ¶12. (C) Senior UMNO leaders who wish to contest the top two leadership positions, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Muhyiddin, hope the September 18 meeting will open up the party contest for competition and defeat of Abdullah, according to Tengku Razaleigh's political aide John Pang (protect),who spoke with Polchief on September 15. Pang described this week and next as critical in the UMNO leadership struggle. Pang believed that PM Abdullah's circle were considering the threat of a Cabinet reshuffle as a last ditch effort to defend Abdullah's position. The reshuffle would jettison those not loyal, including Muhyiddin and even Najib if he failed in the end to back Abdullah. Pang confirmed former Prime Minister Mahathir's current backing of Tengku Razaleigh to unseat Abdullah, noting Mahathir's money and behind-the-scenes influence as important. Comment -------------- ¶13. (C) The ISA arrest of the ethnic Chinese journalist provided a stunning blow to inter-racial cooperation within the National Front government, immediately undid Abdullah's efforts last week to patch up relations with UMNO's non-Malay KUALA LUMP 00000810 004 OF 004 coalition partners, and sent another signal of UMNO as a party in disarray. This misstep also has galvanized public criticism of the ISA across party lines, including the tendered resignation of an UMNO minister. It will be telling to see if such criticism of ISA persists from BN quarters if authorities do not release ethnic Chinese opposition MP Teresa Kok. Tan's case was linked directly to MCA and Gerakan's complaints to UMNO; Kok's is not. There may be other reasons for the police not to release Kok and Raja Petra at this point. UMNO leadership may have intended to use the latest ISA arrests to send a warning of their serious resolve to the Opposition and would-be defectors on the eve of Anwar's threatened move to topple the government. A quick reversal of all three ISA arrests would undercut this deterrent value. ¶14. (C) If the UMNO Supreme Council meeting fails to re-endorse Abdullah's 2010 transition plan and instead opens this up for debate in the party's divisional meetings, Abdullah will face a real fight within the party ranks where he is generally viewed as an ineffective leader largely responsible for the March election debacle, and is widely unpopular on that basis. KEITH