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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Najib broke his word on sedition law, say critics

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could sue his critics instead of relying on the archaic Sedition Law, say commentators. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, August 19, 2014.Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could sue his critics instead of relying on the archaic Sedition Law, say commentators. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, August 19, 2014.
Civil society and human rights lawyers have expressed disgust that yet another politician will be charged under the Sedition Act today although Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had promised to remove the law from the statute book.
They said, of late, it had become a fashion for Putrajaya to use this outdated law to stifle dissent among opposition leaders and individuals critical of the establishment.
They said Malaysia's human rights records would take a further beating if this law was used to suppress freedom of speech and expression, a right guaranteed under the Federal Constitution.
"The prime minister made a pledge to do away with this law but what we see is the complete opposite. We see more and more people, in particular members from the opposition being charged," said Gobind, who is DAP national legal bureau chairman.
Gobind said Najib had failed to live up to his promise to make Malaysia what he in his own words described as the world's "best democracy".
He said Surendran's case demonstrated the current pathetic state of affairs of the criminal justice system in Malaysia.
Police recorded Surendran's statement at the Wangsa Maju police headquarters last night after slapping him with an arrest warrant following an alleged seditious remark.
Kuala Lumpur police CID deputy chief ACP Khairi Ahrasa said Surendran, who is also Padang Serai MP, was released on bail and will be charged today with sedition.
Surendran had allegedly said that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy 2 charge was a political conspiracy involving Najib. He is also Anwar's lawyer.
Surendran is the latest opposition politician to be charged with sedition this year. The other being Tian Chua, who is also a PKR vice-president and Batu MP.
Those convicted for sedition could be jailed up to three years or fined RM5,000 or both.
Surendran risks his political career coming to an end as he will be disqualified from office if fined more than RM2,000 or jailed more than a year.
Centre for Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) co-chairman Lim Chee Wee said it was ironic that Najib was now the beneficiary of a prosecution in reaction to critical comments against him.
"Najib's government must move to quickly repeal this archaic and universally condemned legislation," said Lim, a former Bar Council chairman.
Najib promised the repeal of the Sedition Act in 2012, a law enacted to counter the communist insurgency between 1948 and 1960.
Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng said the international community was monitoring Malaysia and the political leadership must have the political will to show it was capable of reform and restore the civil rights of its citizens.
He said Najib could have the used the media to counter Surendran’s allegation.
"He will get extensive coverage because of his stature as the leader of the country. By doing so, he would have given an opportunity to the public to judge him," he added.
Lawyer Fahri Azzat said Najib could have demanded an apology from Surendran, failing which he could have initiated civil action for defamation.
"What Surendran uttered was a personal insult against Najib. The prime minister will be awarded damages if Surendran was found to have injured Najib's reputation.”
Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement today: "The Malaysia government's decision to charge Surendran  with sedition today is yet another blatant example of a draconian law being used to violate freedom of expression and silence critics.  This is part of a clearly emerging Malaysian government campaign to systematically pursue its political opponents using trumped-up charges under the Sedition Act.”
Robertson said the use of a colonial-era law demonstrated Najib’s failure to fulfil his pledges to amend the Sedition Act, which also showed it was hollow rhetoric “designed to deceive both Malaysians and the international community".
- TMI

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