Malaysian Opposition Leader Warns of More Repression

"Tuesday, 31 March 2009 04:49 By Heda Bayron, Voice of America Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim warns of rising repression in the country as a new prime minister takes office this week. Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to take over Thursday as prime minister of Malaysia, when Abdullah Badawi steps down. But Malaysian opposition-leader Anwar Ibrahim told reporters in Bangkok that recent developments suggest the Najib administration could usher in a further stifling of dissent and a return to the authoritarian style of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. 'We can only point out to the statements he has made, measures like banning newspapers, threatening tough measures the moment he took over the presidency [of his party, UMNO],' he said. 'That is why the opposition People's Alliance views this with great consternation that Datuk Seri Najib represents the old order.' The government recently shut down two opposition newspapers for three months, preventing them from reporting on a series of high profile events, a hotly contested by-election in Perak state on April 7 and the verdict in a sensational murder case involving a close aide of Najib Razak two days later." READ MORE HERE