Several Malaysian bloggers are reporting that blogger Nat (Nathaniel) Tan of jelas.info was detained earlier today (July 13) by Malaysian police . KTEmoc writes
Police took Nathaniel Tan of PKR away for questioning, without providing any reason at all. They entered his office at about 4.45 pm today, and told Tan to follow them to the Bukit Aman police headquarters. The policemen also requested that Tan bring his notebook computer with him. It is believed that he is being questioned on matters relating to certain postings on the Internet.
Nathaniel works for a political party called Parti Keadilan Rakyat or PKR. Tian Chua, the information chief of PKR offers some background information on Nathaniel Tan.
Nathaniel is a 27 year old graduate from Harvard University. We began to know each other last year and became good friend. Early this year, I recruited him to work under KeADILan’s Information Bureau.
Image from Mob's Crib
Police initially denied having taken Nathaniel but later at night they admitted to it. Malaysian bloggers find the action puzzling. Maverick SM commenting on a post at Mob's Crib says
This is truly a sad day for democracy in Malaysia. Nat had never being subversive nor acted in anyway that would have threatened the security of the nation. How could the authorities be so misinformed? Democracy is dead!
Detained blogger's colleague John thinks that the establishment is trying to make an example out of Nathaniel for “those who dare to make a difference”.
There is also some speculation that one of Nathanial's post earlier this week (about an ongoing spat between the deputy internal security minister and the inspector general of police) might have caused the detention.
UPDATE: It seems that the police is looking for information on a comment that was left on Nathaniel's post on mentioned above. 4896 has an update on his blog .
Nathaniel's younger sister Cheryl is logging the latest developments on her own blog.
Links to bloggers talking about Nathaniel:
Elizabeth Wong
The Sensintrovert
Reduced and Recycled
Lucia Lai
Rocky's Bru
S.K.Thew
Susan Loone
Jeff Ooi
Politics 101 Malaysia
Bullets of Quills and Ink
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[...] read on this in Global Voices. Sphere: Related [...]
I guess it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
[...] Minister and Internal Security Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must intervene to free Nathaniel Tan immediately to ensure that his administration does not start the slide down the slippery slope of [...]
CONGRATULATION TO KHAIRY!!! NOW POLICE HAVE MOVED IN TO DETAINED PKR MAN…THE CONSPIRACY TO TOPPLE NAJIB HAD BEGIN …THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING…NAJIB IS SLEEPLESS AND TWITCHING…..
[...] I read this story. Nathaniel Tan was taken into police custody. [...]
Please all u active and savvy bloggers, use all your links and whatever else. Publicize Nat’s detection. Together we can make a difference.
This is not news. This is what Malaysian police do regularly - arresting people who speak out against the government. There is no freedom to speak out in Malaysia. It is a totalitarian government. There is no nation today do such a thing to its citizens and here in Malaysia it is all done ‘legally’.
[...] From Global Voices [...]
here’s some humour for this tense moment
watch it. What Really Happend Between Johari and Nathaniel
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8wzqfgReWmc
[...] the critical nature of their posts. If it isn’t politically aligned newspapers suing bloggers, it’s bloggers being arrested for charges that are still [...]
I would like to be one of the first people to stand up and say a big thank you to Datuk Toh Kin Woon for your words quoted in the article “Gerakan Man: Don’t Gag Bloggers” in the New Straits Times. Although the government does not agree with what you are saying - the people in this country do agree with you and it is the people that the govenment work for and should respect.
Please visit http://hygen.net/blog/?p=71 and post your thanks to Datuk Toh Kin Woon and show your support for Malaysian Bloggers & Malaysian human rights in general.
Thanks!
To Madhaterz (message 7),
Look not much farther, and how could you forget North Korea and China? And Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Russia, Poland . . . perhaps as close to you as Singapore, Indonesia?
Yes there are a few other countries that are as repressive as Malaysia aspires to be if they pass strict new laws as proposed.
Looking at that list and the likes of North Korea and Iran etc… What kind of people want to build a nation associated with that kind of repression and breach of human rights?
I think there must be something in the water at parliment in Malaysia!
The law is the law so dear mr nat should know the law after all he works for a political party called Parti Keadilan Rakyat so dont they make sure that people who work for them know the law or what.
Well he should not have spoken out against his Government. That is treason and traitorous in any country so Nat ought to apologise quickly and publicly to the Malaysian Government I am sure they could do without a Malaysian traitor in their midst. I mean they have a hard enough job as it is with all the different factions there so all Malaysians support your Country and that means your Government.
deutscruber(message 15):
Not in the USA, the UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea, even Taiwan . . . where any individual can freely speak against his or her government without fear of prosecution. SPEECH alone cannot constitute treason. Only speech coupled with ACTION can.
UGH! Such small-minded governments who cannot deal with different opinions!
Yes but Peter, he knew the Law and in all the countries you mentioned if you break the law you usually get areested so he broke the law intentionally, so what did he expect a medal, different countries different laws, obey the laws that are there and the authorities will give you no problem I am sure the Malaysian Government know what they are doing when they make these laws so it is for a reason and just because you don’t agree with that reason you shouldn’t break it just to act macho and make a name for himself among dissidents. They arrested him quite legally to prevent possible anarchy so prevention is better than cure with possible anarchists.
Very simple.
An intolerant king is a TYRANT;
An intolerant religion is a CULT!
while you are beimg tolerant your political enemies will decipher that as weakness and will be intolerable themselves in their haste to topple you and the Government opponents and terrorists are the real intolerable ones stirring up unrest and Nat Tan is intolerable by being intolerant himself. So what is he? a bigger intolerant tyrant perhaps who is intolerant of the Government. That’s intolerance for you.
Oh well, then in many ways anarchy is way better than absolute autocracy. I would never hesitate to celebrate whenever I see a totalitarian regime get toppled from its roots - like the former USSR, the European Eastern Bloc (concluding with Romania’s Nicolae Ceausescu).
Above the law there is Right or Wrong. Merely being legal does not mean it is justifiable. Last year in Hong Kong our lame government passd a law in such a rush that “enabled” them to confiscate all domestic poultry in the territory without compensation. YES, It is “law.” So what? NO, It is WRONG!
And the USSR was perfect in its own way with the majority of normal folks happy doing their bit for their country, what can be more blissful than doing your bit to help your fellow beings. I live in a Capitalist society and am in despair with all the greed and grasping of the rich and they show no pity for the poor just disdain and contempt, I am reasonably well off but still am sickened a little with my peers attitude and it seems I must be a one in a million in % terms which is unfortunate because I thought humanity in the Western world was progressing but it seems we have a long way to go before we ever get near to the real meaning of humanity.
[...] of months, there are sever and more sever warnings from Malaysia government. Bloggers get sued, Bloggers get detained, and threaten with revocation of citizenship. The Cabinet debating over it, the ruling government [...]
[...] months, there are more and more severe warnings coming from Malaysia government. Bloggers get sued, Bloggers get detained, and threaten with revocation of citizenship. The Cabinet debating over it, the ruling government [...]
[...] of political blogs there. Many outspoken political critics who blog their views find themselves arrested. There is a general anxiety and unease about this new medium that allows ordinary people to voice [...]
I didn’t know Malaysia had a PATRIOT Act