DAP's Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak not only to fulfill his promise to repeal the Sedition Act 1948 but also remove sedition clauses for scholarships offered by the Public Services Department (PSD).
Her comments were sparked by the show-cause letter issued to PSD scholar Aslam Abdul Jalil for alleged sedition at a forum entitled 'Race, Religion and Royalty' at Australian National University (ANU).
"This shows that not only has the 1948 Sedition Act been abused; even PSD is prepared to abuse the sedition clause in the agreement to persecute Aslam," Kok said in a statement today.
The PSD scholarship bars students from “seditious activities or demonstrations... that in the opinion of the government, will have a deleterious effect on Malaysia’s interests or any educational institution”.
Aslam, a student at ANU, was a panellist at the forum along side Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (right) and John Funstn, a visiting fellow at ANU department of political and social change.
"Being a panellist at a political forum is part of the learning process which must not and cannot be deemed seditious.
"PSD must therefore not restrict, or worse persecute, the students for wanting to pursue true university education.
'Promises still unfilfilled'
"I wish to urge the prime minister to fulfill his promises to repeal the 1948 Sedition Act, as well as to repeal the outdated clauses in the PSD scholarship agreement," said Kok.
She added that despite Najib's 2012 promise to repeal the Sedition Act 1948, no effort has been forthcoming and instead the late DAP chairperson Karpal Singh as well as herself were charged witjh sedition.
Kok was in May charged at the KL Sessions Court with sedition for a satire video mocking the government handling of critical issues such as weak border security in Sabah and assaults of protesters.
Karpal was in February found guilty of sedition by the KL High Court for threatening to sue the Perak sultan over a constitutional crisis in 2009 and fined RM4,000.
The prosecution had attempted to appeal the case to include a jail term for the wheelchair-bound poitician but he passed away in a road accident in April.
Her comments were sparked by the show-cause letter issued to PSD scholar Aslam Abdul Jalil for alleged sedition at a forum entitled 'Race, Religion and Royalty' at Australian National University (ANU).
"This shows that not only has the 1948 Sedition Act been abused; even PSD is prepared to abuse the sedition clause in the agreement to persecute Aslam," Kok said in a statement today.
The PSD scholarship bars students from “seditious activities or demonstrations... that in the opinion of the government, will have a deleterious effect on Malaysia’s interests or any educational institution”.
Aslam, a student at ANU, was a panellist at the forum along side Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (right) and John Funstn, a visiting fellow at ANU department of political and social change."Being a panellist at a political forum is part of the learning process which must not and cannot be deemed seditious.
"PSD must therefore not restrict, or worse persecute, the students for wanting to pursue true university education.
'Promises still unfilfilled'
"I wish to urge the prime minister to fulfill his promises to repeal the 1948 Sedition Act, as well as to repeal the outdated clauses in the PSD scholarship agreement," said Kok.
She added that despite Najib's 2012 promise to repeal the Sedition Act 1948, no effort has been forthcoming and instead the late DAP chairperson Karpal Singh as well as herself were charged witjh sedition.
Kok was in May charged at the KL Sessions Court with sedition for a satire video mocking the government handling of critical issues such as weak border security in Sabah and assaults of protesters.
Karpal was in February found guilty of sedition by the KL High Court for threatening to sue the Perak sultan over a constitutional crisis in 2009 and fined RM4,000.
The prosecution had attempted to appeal the case to include a jail term for the wheelchair-bound poitician but he passed away in a road accident in April.
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