As condemnation poured in and demands for her released continued from the NUJ, MCA and MIC, the government released Sin Chew journalist Tan at 4pm today and offered the dubious excuse that she had been jailed for her own good.
From Malaysiakini:
Speaking from Johor Baru this morning, Syed Hamid justified Tan's detention under the ISA with a rare reason that it was as part of the government's preventive measure ‘to ensure her safety'.
The minister claimed police intelligence have indicated that the journalist's life came under threat after she reported an Umno division leader's allegedly racist remarks.
Why then, did the police have to transfer her from Penang to Bukit Aman? Was she not safe enough in the care of the Penang police? Or was it bureaucracy? It was a "KL case" and therefore had to be processed in KL? Why not just detain her for questioning? Instead of raising the country's ire by charging her under ISA?
Is this a matter of the government realizing its stupidity and letting the journalist go before all these candlelight vigils could take place? Did they get scared when the NUJ said they would use their international connections to highlight this injustice?
As we wait to hear from Tan herself, one can only assume the worst of a government which has lost so much credibility in the eyes of its people.
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