One has to look at the political context in any country to examine the nature and extent of the space for civil society, including women’s groups, to organize. In my country, Malaysia, the democratic space is very limited. We have an authoritarian government that has a battery of laws that basically constrain or even repress the people’s human and democratic rights, such as the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. At the same time, there is some limited space because the political regime takes the form of parliamentary democracy, which includes a general election every five years for those who want to receive the mandate to govern. As the political leaders are quick to point out, due to the so-called volatile nature of the country, we need to have a “guided democracy”.

Those who are critical of the state will inevitably come under the sword of detention because they are seen as threats to the security of the nation. We have the infamous Internal Security Act, which can put people under indefinite detention and without access to trial in the open court. Civil society and women’s groups have to work within this context.

For the women’s groups, constraints on the freedom of speech and assembly vary depending on the issues they work on. Those who work on so-called politically ‘safe’ issues such as violence against women (VAW), including counseling and services for women, seem to have more space to organize, speak and move around. And then again, when we started the VAW campaign about 20 years ago, these were not safe issues at all. However, today the state has appropriated the issue for itself. But when women become more political, for example when they speak out on human rights issues, question police violence or are critical of the nature of development in the country, then the secret police also known as the “special branch” intervene. They put people under surveillance and by their presence seek to intimidate. With this kind of atmosphere, we are faced with the dilemma of whether to just accept this untenable situation or struggle within whatever existing space is left.

If we want to print something, we are required to obtain a license. If workers want to organize a strike, they have to go through a whole bureaucratic process. Theatre groups who want to stage a play must submit their script for approval before they are allowed to hold the event. If we are to hold a rally or a demonstration, we must ask for a police permit. The process of applying for a permit includes interviews, and often harassment by the state authorities – particularly the police.

Even holding a rally on so-called ‘safe’ gender issues is called into question. This was witnessed by the recent event when a women’s group wanted to hold a rally to protest against the rape and murder of a young woman. After a horrendous process of requesting a permit from the police to hold a rally, the permit was denied the day before based on ‘security reasons’. The police threatened to arrest those who turned up for the rally and continuously harassed the women organizers. A few of us, who went to the designated place with our leaflets and banners and to inform people of the postponement of the rally, were also harassed by the police. It was only after a lot of public pressure and media visibility that the permit was finally given, but only on condition that the group the rally indoors.

In Malaysia, another constraint in building people’s solidarity is the situation that we are a multi-ethnic society—Malaysians are composed of Malays, Chinese, Indians and Indigenous Peoples. Identity politics fuelled by political parties based on ethnicity, state policies and rhetoric get in the way and divide us. As a result, we tend to view each other with suspicion. Gaining a more democratic space that accommodates women organizing in Malaysia will only be possible when ordinary people—students, workers, the urban poor, rural people, indigenous peoples and many other groups transcend ethnic, sexual and other kinds of identities-- and unite.