Media reports alleging that civil society groups are receiving foreign funding in a plot to destabilise the government could be a prelude to a crackdown on them, said Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan.
"Such disparaging reports (as New Straits Times' Sept 21 front page article) lay the groundwork for a crackdown on civil society as can be seen from the on-going state harassment campaign against Suaram and the possible use of even more draconian measures," she said.
She was speaking at a joint press conference today alongside with representatives of Suaram, Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Lawyers for Liberty, Medeka Centre, and Southeast Asian Centre for E-Media (Seacem), who were also named in the article.
Seacem project manager Sean Ang added, "We are very worried: Could this be a prelude?
"Could the government be building the context or justification for bigger things to come?" he asked, and pointed to Singapore's policy of blocking foreign funding for some NGOs as an example.
[More to follow]
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