Malaysian Opposition May Profit From Release of Mahathir Critic 
International Herald Tribune
August 26, 1999
Thomas Fuller

Malaysia released from prison Wednesday one of the most vocal critics of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad, a move that could help boost the chances of the country's political opposition in upcoming elections.

Lim Guan Eng, deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party, was greeted by thousands of his supporters outside the prison where he served 12 months of an 18-month sentence for sedition. He was released early for good behavior, as is customary in Malaysia.

Mr. Lim was imprisoned for publishing and distributing a pamphlet that criticized the government.

Although barred by Malaysian law from contesting the coming election — he was automatically disqualified following his conviction — allies of Mr. Lim say he could galvanize the opposition to Mr. Mahathir and help garner votes for members of his party, the largest opposition group in Parliament.

In what was perhaps a sign of his political campaigning to come, Mr. Lim attended three political rallies within hours of his release, addressing large crowds in three different cities.

"Our prime minister offers a vision of a society where corruption is part of economic progress and abuses of power and injustice necessary to maintain political stability," he told a crowd at his party's headquarters outside Kuala Lumpur, standing next to his wife and three young children. "Malaysia deserves better."

Mr. Lim told the crowd he believed he was imprisoned because he made Mr. Mahathir "very angry." Mr. Mahathir, asked his reaction to this allegation at a news conference later in the day, declined to comment.

During his 12 years in Parliament, Mr. Lim challenged the government loudly and openly. In a country where the ruling coalition has always had a comfortable majority in Parliament, Mr. Lim was a young and dynamic dissenting voice.

He went to prison after the country's highest court refused to overturn his conviction for printing a pamphlet that criticized the government's decision not to press statutory rape charges against a former senior government official.

The pamphlet questioned why a schoolgirl involved in the scandal — she was 15 at the time — had been detained in the case but not the official, who was then regarded as a protégé of Mr. Mahathir's.

Mr. Lim remained defiant Wednesday. "Where else in the world would such a travesty of justice occur," he said, where "victims are punished instead of their rapists merely to save the political interests of the Barisan Nasional." He was referring to Mr. Mahathir's ruling coalition.

Mr. Lim's party has allied itself with three other parties to challenge the coalition, which has been in power since independence in 1957. Elections must be held before next June, but many Malaysians believe Mr. Mahathir will call them sooner.

There is no tradition of opinion polls in Malaysia, so judging the alliance's chances against the more experienced ruling coalition is difficult, but few Malaysians believe Mr. Lim and his allies will be able to remove Mr. Mahathir from government.

The prime minister has been in power for 18 years and has tight control over the media and his political party, the largest in the country. His main challenger, Anwar Ibrahim, a newfound ally of Mr. Lim's, is behind bars.

"We should not forget those who are still behind prison walls," said Mr. Lim Wednesday, naming Mr. Anwar as the country's "most prominent prisoner." Mr. Anwar, Malaysia's former deputy prime minister, was sentenced in April to six years in prison for abuse of power and is currently on trial for sodomy.

Opposition groups have criticized the government's handling of the trial.

Mr. Lim's father, Lim Kit Siang, said Wednesday that his son's case was "a reminder of the distance we have to travel to restore justice in Malaysia."

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