DS Anwar Ibrahim conveyed the following message to the public through his lawyers on 6 November 2015:
“I am gravely concerned by the news that former prime minister of Malaysia Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the subject of a police investigation for criminal defamation and was questioned by the police on 6 November.
He committed no crime when he asked questions and voiced criticism against the Prime Minister on the 1MDB crisis.
If this is how even Tun Dr Mahathir is treated, the democratic right of ordinary Malaysians to question and criticise the government is in serious jeopardy.
Our constitution and the democratic rights therein guaranteed to our people must not be disregarded or interfered with by government or enforcement agencies.
I have watched with increasing concern the worsening strain of authoritarianism by those in power.
Instead of investigating Tun Dr Mahathir, the PM and the government should answer the important questions that he had raised. These questions are also being asked by ordinary Malaysians throughout the country.
This heavy handed response will only worsen the crisis of confidence in the PM, the government and the institutions involved in trying to silence critics.
I call for an end to this harassment against Dr Mahathir and all others, who have merely done their duty by our country by voicing out against the errors and wrongdoings of the government and its leaders.”
Fahmi Fadzil
Communications Director
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
7 November 2015