‘Rules for thee’: is Malaysia’s Anwar being hypocritical about rallies?

Malaysia’s civil servants have been warned of possible disciplinary action if they join a protest on Saturday calling for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s resignation, as the opposition claims hundreds of thousands are being mobilised for the rally.

The “Turun Anwar” (Anwar Resign) demonstration is the first mass rally that directly challenges the prime minister, whose reform movement once popularised street protests in the country against his rivals.

Organised by the Islamist party PAS and the opposition, the rally calls for Anwar’s resignation over unfulfilled promises, alleging economic mismanagement and an authoritarian tilt, including his attempt to seek legal immunity from an accusation of sexual assault.

While the Federal Constitution guarantees the right to free speech and assembly, the Attorney General’s Chamber warned Malaysia’s civil servants that “these rights are not absolute”.

“Accordingly, any public gathering is also subject to the requirement to comply with existing laws, including specific instructions issued by the authorities including instructions by the chief secretary to civil servants,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.

The warning follows a comment by the government’s Chief Secretary Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar on Sunday, saying that the attendance of state employees went against the National Principles, a set of five ideals formulated as a response to the 1969 racial riots.