Blogger Nat Tan arrested - free Nat Now !!

Nathaniel direman empat hari, dituduh miliki dokumen rasuah Johari

Image courtesy of Mob's Crib

From Jelas Info :

Nat’s currently in IPD Dang Wangi lock up and is scheduled to meet DSP Victor from the cyber crimes unit. He is also scheduled to see a magistrate to decided Nat will be remanded for a longer period of time or not.

He sends his love and regards to all.

Poster courtesy of Wattahack?

Why arrest Nathaniel Tan? Free Nat Now! POLICE INTIMIDATION TACTICS: Malaysian Police Detains Blogger Nathaniel Tan Without Confirmation of His Whereabouts for Nearly SIX Hours.

From Malaysiakini :

Investigating officer DSP Victor Sanjos when contacted confirmed that Tan was being investigated under Section 8 of the Official Secrets Act 1972.

The law relates to “wrongful communication, etc of official secret”. If convicted, Tan will face a mandatory jail term of at least one year to a maximum of seven years.


Freelunch 2020 returns to add a voice in supporting Nat

If anyone lodges a report, YOU TOO can be ARRESTED, Gestapo-style

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

First they came… is a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group....

Outside Bukit Aman: Candlelight vigil as usual but with a paltry crew of about 20 people. Posters ask, "Where is Nathaniel?"

(Image taken from freelunch)

Release blogger from police detention


The Centre for Independent Journalism is deeply concerned that police have detained a blogger, Nathaniel Tan, for investigation under the Official Secrets Act over his postings on the Internet. The arrest came just two days after the Multimedia and Communication Commission (MCMC) decided to investigate another blogger and opposition party leader, Tian Chua, for publishing a digitally manipulated photo of the deputy Prime Minister dining with a Mongolian murder victim and one of the accused.

Nathaniel Tan, or Nat as he is widely known, has two blogs -- jelas.info and bangkit.net. The latter is a portal for Malaysian civil society groups. According to online news site Malaysiakini.com, Nat is also the webmaster for the same opposition party as Tian Chua, Parti Keadilan (PKR), and the secretary for the non-profit Foundation for the Future, chaired by PKR's advisor and former deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

When contacted by CIJ, DSP Victor Sanjos, the investigating officer for Nat's case confirmed that he had been detained at 5:00pm on 13 July and has since been held at the Dang Wangi Police Station, located at the centre of capital Kuala Lumpur. He said that Nat’s detention has to do with articles in his blog but did not specify which postings. No charge has been brought against him to date.

Malaysiakini.com reported that Nat was asked by the police to bring along his notebook when they took him away. He was not allowed access to legal counsel and police only confirmed the detention at 10:00pm that day.

CIJ is deeply worried that the detention is a form of intimidation against a blogger who has differing views from that of the government's. We are concerned that the arrest is a sign of the beginning of a clampdown on freedom of speech in cyberspace, as the government is seen being increasingly uncomfortable about content over the Internet. The government is bound by its promise in the Multimedia Bill of Guarantee not to censor the Internet but Nat's prolonged detention sends a chilling effect to other bloggers and is a form of indirect censorship.

We urge the police to immediately release Nat and stop taking action against bloggers. The police and the government should not renege on its duty to protect Malaysians' right to freedom of speech as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution.

The Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia (CIJ) is a media organization that aims to improve current Malaysian journalism practice and independence through advocacy, research and analysis, training and practical work. Started in 2001, CIJ has initiated various projects in developing grassroots communications skills through training, infrastructural support and direct action.

Ends

Issued by

Gayathry Venkiteswaran
Executive Director

For more information, please contact Wai Fong at 03 40230772



From Uncle Kit :

Free Nat Now. Abdullah should be aware that the whole world is watching Malaysia. If the Prime Minister does not want the 50th Merdeka Anniversary celebrations to start off infamously, he should act and restrain police abuses by freeing Tan immediately.