DAP leaders demand release of two Mandiri activists and review of police actions

DAP executive committee members Kelvin Yii, Kasthuri Patto and Raja Ahmad Iskandar Fareez publicly demanded that two Mandiri activists be released, insisting the police must explain why their detention is necessary when investigations could proceed without curtailing freedom. They emphasized that any police action must be evidence-based, transparent and free from political pressure or presumptions of guilt. The party also condemned the freezing of the activists’ bank accounts, travel restrictions and a raid on Mandiri’s office, saying such steps could jeopardize the NGO’s survival and its legitimate human-rights advocacy.

The detained individuals, identified as Amir and Chew, were arrested under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and are slated to be taken to Jinjang police station. DAP called for an immediate review of the travel ban and asset freeze, demanded access to legal counsel for the detainees, and urged Interior Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to clarify the enforcement approach. They framed the issue as a test of Malaysia’s reform commitment and the rule of law.