VZCZCXRO3107
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #0633/01 2151036
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 031036Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3049
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2811
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0651
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000633 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EAP/MTS AND INR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MY
SUBJECT: ANTI-ISA DEMONSTRATIONS IN KUALA LUMPUR MEET WITH 
HEAVY GOM RESPONSE 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Brian D. McFeeters for reasons 1.4 b 
 and d. 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) On August 1, thousands of protestors assembled on 
the streets of downtown Kuala Lumpur calling for the repeal 
of the Internal Security Act (ISA), this despite extensive 
government  warnings in the days leading up to the 
demonstration and police efforts to lock down the center of 
town and prevent protestors from assembling.  Police used 
overwhelming force in the form of water canons and tear gas 
to disperse this first major street demonstration since the 
advent of the Najib administration.   589 were initially 
arrested; most of those were subsequently released by the 
authorities.  The opposition has used the incident to portray 
the government as intolerant of dissent.  The PM and 
government have emphasized that the ISA law is under review 
and that there were alternative venues for protest other than 
the streets.  End Summary. 
 
ISA focus of protest 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Downtown Kuala Lumpur became a battle zone on August 
1 as police used tear gas and chemically laced water to 
disperse thousands of protestors calling for the repeal of 
the Internal Security Act (ISA).  Acting PolCounselor and 
PolSpecialist observed the protest, the first major 
demonstration since Najib Tun Razak became Prime Minister in 
April 2009.  It was organized by the NGO Abolish ISA Movement 
(AIM) and backed by the opposition coalition Peoples Alliance 
(PR).  AIM has been in the forefront in urging the government 
to repeal the 1960 act, originally targeted at communist 
insurgents, that allows detention without trial.  Opposition 
leaders and human rights activists maintain that the law has 
been used by the ruling National Front to stifle dissent in 
Malaysia.  Currently around 17 people, a majority of them 
alleged members of JI, are detained under the Act. 
 
Both sides lay down the gauntlet 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) AIM initially called for 100,000 people to march to 
the national palace and hand over a memorandum urging the 
King to dissolve the Act.  Over the past two weeks, the NGO 
and the PR had embarked on a major drive to bring out a large 
crowd, distributing fliers, using blogs and sending SMS 
messages.  The fliers urged people to gather at three 
strategic places in the city; to prepare for tear gas and 
chemically laced water by bringing along towels, face masks, 
salt and bottled water, and in the case of students, to avoid 
carrying their student identifications. (Note: Students from 
public universities are prohibited from participating in 
protests without written permission from university 
authorities.  End Note.) Perhaps most significantly, on the 
eve of the demonstration the Islamic party PAS urged all of 
its members and supporters to converge on the downtown area. 
In the meantime, Police and Government officials made 
abundantly clear that they considered the planned protests 
illegal and would use all necessary force to disperse them. 
They noted that no permits had been issued for the 
demonstration and warned that stern action would be taken 
against anyone illegally assembling. 
 
Pro-ISA group also joins fray 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) While AIM and the PR were preparing for the protest, 
a pro-ISA group closely associated with the ruling 
coalition's Pembela Negara Federation of Non-Governmental 
Organizations Council (Magaran), which claims to have 56 NGOs 
under its wing with over 100,000 members, gave AIM an 
ultimatum to cancel the rally or face a counter rally on the 
same day.  However, Perkasa, another pro-government NGO, 
joined the fray and filed a police report on July 27 urging 
police to stop the rallies by AIM and Magaran as "they could 
lead to rioting." 
 
Overwhelming Police response 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) On the morning of August 1, Acting PolCouns and 
PolSpecialist observed an exceptionally heavy police presence 
at points leading to the city center.  Opposition sources 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000633  002 OF 002 
 
 
told us that the police were detaining anyone possessing any 
paraphernalia relating to the protest.  Despite these 
measures, thousands of marchers materialized in the vicinity 
of the national mosque and approached the Merdeka square 
area, where police fired barrages of tear gas and dozens of 
water cannon trucks sprayed chemically laced water on the 
crowds (and numerous tourists and bystanders) without any 
warning.  Several people were also severely beaten by the 
riot squad, including PAS Member of Parliament Dr. Hatta 
Ramli, an event captured on video.  The march and subsequent 
skirmishes lasted for four hours, with 589 people reportedly 
arrested.  The great majority of the marchers were Malays. 
 
¶6. (C) Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department chief 
Ku Chin Wah told reporters that of those arrested 560 were 
released and the remaining 29, including Peoples Justice 
Party Vice president and de facto opposition leader Anwar 
Ibrahim's lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah were remanded to face 
charges.  Sivarasa was released on August 3 on police bail. 
Incidentally the pro-ISA group's plan to protest against AIM 
did not materialize.  One of its leaders told reporters that 
they have decided to abide by the police directive not 
organize a counter protest.  However press sources told 
poloffs that the pro-ISA group cancelled their plans because 
very few people gathered to support their cause, and the 
feared clash of pro and anti-ISA groups did not materialize. 
 
Government, Opposition reactions 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Interestingly, among the ruling coalition partners, 
only United Malays National Organization (UMNO) leaders 
condemned the protest.  PM Najib called the ISA-linked 
demonstrations "unnecessary" since the government was in the 
process of reviewing the Act.  Home Minister Hishamuddin told 
reporters August 2 that amendments to the Act "that will not 
compromise national security" would be tabled in the next 
session of Parliament.  However, Minister in the PM's 
Department Nazri Abdul Aziz condemned the opposition parties 
for organizing the protest and added that "as long as the BN 
rules the laws stays."  Government owned media downplayed the 
protest claiming that only 5,000 people took part (Note. We 
estimated that higher estimates of 20,000 to 30,000 were 
probably more accurate.  End Note.), praised police for being 
"highly professional" and lamented the "inconvenience caused" 
by the protest to businesses and the people in general. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Opposition leaders condemned the "high handed and 
highly unprofessional conduct" of the police, describing them 
as "puppets of the UMNO elite."  Anwar Ibrahim maintained 
that the dispersal of the demonstrators proved that the 
Government "does not tolerate dissent."  Democratic Action 
Party (DAP) senior advisor Lim Kit Siang urged the police to 
concentrate on efforts to bring down the increasing crime 
rate in the country rather than on "peaceful, patriotic 
advocates for abolition of ISA."  PAS Vice President Mahfouz 
Omar stated that police have never adhered to standard 
operating procedure when opposition rallies are involved and 
condemned the violent action against the peaceful protestors. 
KEITH