Why the tough talk now, Latheefa pans Anwar over threat against rally

Malaysiakini : Lawyer-activist Latheefa Koya has questioned Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over what she described as “tough talk” on controversial preacher Zamri Vinoth, asking whether the shift in tone was linked to the visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While she found Zamri’s views despicable, Latheefa (above) reminded the prime minister that he cannot threaten arrests before any crime had been committed.

“This is a nation of laws, a ‘negara hukum’. Even Zamri has a right to hold a protest - but without inciting hatred,” she said on X. Earlier today, Anwar issued a stern warning that “maximum action”, including arrests, will be executed against any quarter that attempts to disrupt the peace while the nation is hosting foreign guests.

Anwar stressed that while the government upholds the right to criticise and freedom of expression, any actions that breach national laws or incite racial tensions will not be tolerated. Anti-Illegal Houses of Worship Movement coordinator Zamri Vinoth had insisted the rally outside the Sogo shopping complex would proceed as planned, claiming that the police have “no power” to prevent the protest.

At a press conference this afternoon, Zamri even thanked Anwar and claimed to have been “given space to hold the gathering in a peaceful and orderly manner”.

Zamri Vinoth

“I would like to remind all parties not to twist or misrepresent the prime minister’s statement. “We are also quite disappointed that the statement was issued by the authorities themselves without referring to the substance of the prime minister’s remarks,” Zamri claimed. Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus earlier said police have not allowed the organisers to proceed with the rally.

Failure of moral leadership

Meanwhile, Latheefa took issue with what she described as a failure of moral leadership over the use of the term “illegal temples”, which she said had been used as a slur against Hindu temples since last year.

“Irresponsible quarters have been stoking tension using ‘illegal temples’ as a term of abuse since last year. Yet, Anwar did nothing all this while,” the former MACC chief commissioner said.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

She argued that the labelling of Hindu temples as “illegal” gained traction after Anwar described the Masjid India temple as “illegal” in response to calls for a temple and mosque to co-exist side by side. “He then launched the Masjid Madani and proclaimed ‘victory’. His ill-judged words were damaging and created an unhealthy situation in the country,” she added.

On Zamri, Latheefa pointed out that numerous police reports had been lodged against the controversial preacher but no action was taken. “There are countless reports against Zamri, but Anwar’s administration took no action all this time,” she said.

Selective enforcement?

Questioning the timing of the latest warnings, she asked whether the law was being enforced selectively. “So, do we enforce the law just because Modi is here? And when Modi is gone, will Anwar go silent again on the ‘illegal temple’ issue?

“If Anwar is concerned about race relations, he must accept responsibility for his ‘illegal temple’ remark and call for an end to the polemic. Will he do it?” she asked. Separately, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim stressed that the right of the people to assemble peacefully must not be threatened or intimidated.

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim

”No executive body - not even a prime minister - has the power to threaten or intimidate by promising maximum action against an assembly that is conducted peacefully.

”As long as an assembly proceeds peacefully, the role of security agencies such as the police is to act as facilitators, ensuring that the gathering, even if it lasts several hours, proceeds in accordance with the law,” stressed the veteran PKR lawmaker.

In April last year, MIC deputy president M Saravanan urged Anwar to direct all government agencies and departments to cease using the term “illegal temples”. The former minister highlighted that many of these temples have existed for decades - long before the enactment of the National Land Code in 1965.

BluePanther4725 : Vinoth should be arrested for disturbing the peace in a public place. Imagine if there's rally against noise pollution from mosques? What will the Police do? 

AyuhMy : This is just the chamele0n's sandiwara la. When modi goes back, the same old game will be played. The show must go on lor...

GanMu : Latheefa is spot on on this matter and is not afraid to speak truth to power. She brazenly calls a spade a spade without mincing her words. 

I agree with her that Anwar started this term "illegal" when he got himself involved in the Masjid India temple - unceremoniously terming it as an illegal temple, which had been in existence for more than 100 years, much to the cagrin of all Hindus. 

No amount of drama to make right his wrong will earn him any brownie point come next GE. The wounds may have healed, but the scars remain to remind voters of this ultimate betrayal. All temples with due regard to their sacred status can never and should not under any circumstances be termed illegal. 

He is not a Hindu and he does not realise how it has hurt all God abiding Hindus. The status of the land on which they were built may now have become the property of the authorities, but that does not "qualify" the temple to be illegal. Anwar started this denigrate word and the onus is on him to apologise and withdraw that degrating word.

Kajang pigeon : Simple answer: he knew the question was coming. Put him in a press conference next to Modi, add a few foreign reporters who actually enjoy asking uncomfortable questions, and suddenly this issue becomes less “domestic noise” and more international optics. So what happens? 

Out comes the classic political survival kit: ✔ 

Look stern 

✔ Say “we take this very seriously” 

✔ Announce a strict warning 

✔ Nod gravely 

✔ Move on before anyone asks, “What happens next?” Because nothing accelerates government efficiency quite like the possibility of global embarrassment. Let’s be honest — this wasn’t proactive leadership. This was pre-emptive face-saving. 

Now the hope is that the rakyat sees the performance and mistakes it for resolution. But Malaysians have watched enough political theatre to recognise the choreography: 

When the cameras turn on → urgency appears. When the cameras leave → urgency mysteriously follows them out. It’s not governance. It’s stage management. And in politics, the scariest words are not “take action.”

They are: “Foreign media is present