Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar yesterday said Malaysian police action against demonstrations and rallies in recent weeks was to maintain peace and stability and was within the norms of universal practice.
Hence, he said, it was unfair of the United States to claim in its annual human rights report that the Malaysian government placed significant restrictions on the right to assemble peacefully.
Syed Hamid said: "If they (demonstrators) want to get together within the law and not cause problems to other citizens, the government will have no problem with that. But if they want to jeopardise public safety, we definitely have to take action."
What our police and other authorities have done is acceptable worldwide. They have been very cautious before taking action.
"But public freedom does not mean chaos. Even the US government will not allow this to happen in America." Syed Hamid said freedom did not mean people could do whatever they liked without adhering to the law.
He also took a dig at the US' own human rights record, as it has unilaterally detained thousands of people without trial in Guantanamo Bay.
US soldiers have also been found to have murdered and tortured hundreds of people in the detention camp and in Iraq.
"We should not over-react to US comments because they themselves have a lot of things in their backyard. They should try to settle their own problems and not interfere.
"Syed Hamid added that the US government clearly did not understand the situation in Malaysia. "Even their comments that immediate measures be taken to prevent further destruction of places of worship is not fair.
"I have not seen many temples in other countries but in Malaysia, there are over 70,000 temples. In some places, we even have problems getting approvals to build mosques."
A US Congress-appointed commission had expressed concern at the "destruction" of temples and other alleged discrimination faced by religious minorities in Malaysia.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom had urged the administration of president George W.
Bush to raise the matter with KL and insisted that immediate measures be taken to protect sacred sites and prevent further destruction.
On the US human rights report, Syed Hamid said: "The US writes reports on every country because they think they are the superpower."
Americans who have been to Malaysia know the exact situation in this country.
There is no need for us to reply or protest."Syed Hamid said he would be meeting foreign mission heads and representatives to explain the situation in the country so that they would know the truth.
Syed Hamid added that the Indian government knew for a fact that the Indians in Malaysia were not being mistreated.
Hence, he said, it was unfair of the United States to claim in its annual human rights report that the Malaysian government placed significant restrictions on the right to assemble peacefully.
Syed Hamid said: "If they (demonstrators) want to get together within the law and not cause problems to other citizens, the government will have no problem with that. But if they want to jeopardise public safety, we definitely have to take action."
What our police and other authorities have done is acceptable worldwide. They have been very cautious before taking action.
"But public freedom does not mean chaos. Even the US government will not allow this to happen in America." Syed Hamid said freedom did not mean people could do whatever they liked without adhering to the law.
He also took a dig at the US' own human rights record, as it has unilaterally detained thousands of people without trial in Guantanamo Bay.
US soldiers have also been found to have murdered and tortured hundreds of people in the detention camp and in Iraq.
"We should not over-react to US comments because they themselves have a lot of things in their backyard. They should try to settle their own problems and not interfere.
"Syed Hamid added that the US government clearly did not understand the situation in Malaysia. "Even their comments that immediate measures be taken to prevent further destruction of places of worship is not fair.
"I have not seen many temples in other countries but in Malaysia, there are over 70,000 temples. In some places, we even have problems getting approvals to build mosques."
A US Congress-appointed commission had expressed concern at the "destruction" of temples and other alleged discrimination faced by religious minorities in Malaysia.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom had urged the administration of president George W.
Bush to raise the matter with KL and insisted that immediate measures be taken to protect sacred sites and prevent further destruction.
On the US human rights report, Syed Hamid said: "The US writes reports on every country because they think they are the superpower."
Americans who have been to Malaysia know the exact situation in this country.
There is no need for us to reply or protest."Syed Hamid said he would be meeting foreign mission heads and representatives to explain the situation in the country so that they would know the truth.
Syed Hamid added that the Indian government knew for a fact that the Indians in Malaysia were not being mistreated.
