Police detained dozens of opposition activists, lawyers and legislators on May 6 and 7, as protests erupted around the ruling National Front (BN) removal of the opposition People's Alliance (PR) state government of Perak.
Perak is one of five states won by the opposition in the March 2008 general elections. Among those arrested was D. Jeyakumar, federal MP for the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM).
Earlier this year, the BN induced three opposition state assembly members to turn "independent" and support the BN to take over the state government. May 7 was the first day of sitting of the state assembly since this power grab.
The opposition has called for new elections to the assembly. Polls indicate the opposition could win a bigger majority if new elections were held.
For the first time in Malaysia's history, police invaded a state assembly and dragged off opposition assembly members resisting the removal of the PR speaker of the assembly. The speaker, D. Sivakumar, was also dragged off.
PSM Secretary-General S. Arutchelvan described the incident as the "unmasking" of new BN Prime Minister Najib Razak as a repressive ruler.
Jeyakumar was arrested, along several others, simply for turning up to show his support for the opposition, Arutchelvan explained to Green Left Weekly.
Electoral reform activist Wong Chin Huat was charged with sedition for calling on the public to wear black in protest.
Arutchelvan said: "Islamic Party [PAS] vice-president Mohamad Sabu was locked up because he was going to lead mass prayers over the Perak state assembly sitting.
"The police also obtained a court injunction allowing them to arrest on sight any member of the public seen within the vicinity of Perak state government building. Riot police surrounded the building and set up road blocks in the area."
Police chief Musa Hassan warned the public not to wear black on May 7.
In 1987, Najib, then a United Malays National Organisation youth leader, made an infamous threat to "soak the keris [traditional Malay sword] in Chinese blood".
Arutchelvan said: "Those who saw Najib in action in 1987 will remember what he is capable of doing."
He added: "The BN maneuvers to avoid a new state election in Perak is a clear sign that the BN will not try to seek any mandate from the people.
"When a government has no faith in the people, then they have no choice but to use the machinery of the state — the police, army, the courts and the election commission — to serve its objectives.
"BN's power politics had always revolved around three factors: money politics and the support of the capitalist class, the use of state machinery to crush political enemies, and using race and religion to create disunity.
"Today we see some of these elements withering away. The unity within BN is crumbling every time the race card is used. It backfires.
"The capitalist class has no loyalty and will support any government which is pro-business and free-market orientated, as we can see in the case of the PR-controlled state governments.
"That means Najib can only rely on the state machinery to hang on to power."
In the last elections, "the people surprised both the opposition and the ruling party".
However, "We may not have the freedom to fight future battles through the ballot any more. It is therefore important to build multi-ethnic people's power based on equality, human rights and fairness to fight the oppression and the undemocratic onslaught facing all of us.
"It is only by building a truly multi-ethnic people's power from below, from the grassroots, that we can challenge the more than 50 years of tyranny by the ruling elites. The biggest challenge for PR is not only the BN but overcoming racial and religious politics and serving all people fairly and equally.
"The might of the people is in its numbers. PSM stands together with the people for real reforms."