KOTA KINABALU - Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s abrupt U-turn on his 2012 pledge to repeal the Sedition Act puts the prime minister at great risk, PKR leaders said, claiming that by reneging on his promise, the leader would lose the trust of Malaysians.
The leaders said it appeared as though Najib, when deciding whether to proceed with the repeal or junk the idea entirely, had clearly pandered to pressure from right-wing elements in ruling party Umno.
“This does not augur well for government trust. He’s clearly given in to the pressure from the right-wingers and ultras in in his own party.
“How will the people trust him anymore? He has done the expedient thing instead of the right thing,” PKR vice-president N. Surendran said when contacted by the Malay Mail Online.
“The Sedition Act is unjust, and has been rightly condemned, not just within the country but abroad. The people are watching and the Barisan Nasional (BN) government will pay the price for this,” he said.
Surendran himself faces a charge under Section 4 (1)(C) of the colonial-era law for criticising the Court of Appeal’s ruling that overturned a lower court’s decision to discharge Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from his second sodomy charge.
In a surprising about turn today, Najib announced at the Umno general assembly that the Sedition Act will be maintained, despite pledging in 2012 to do away with the colonial era law and replace it with laws on national harmony.
Joining his PKR colleague in condemning the decision, Penampang MP and lawmaker Darell Leiking said that this would only allow extremists and those who play racial politics to continue creating a divisive society, while others who speak against the government will be hauled up under the act.
“I believe due to his own political party’s pressure he is unable to maintain his promise earlier to repeal the act and is maintaining the imagination that there are those out to create havoc in the Federation of Malaysia.
“It is those who use race and religion in his party that are asking for the Sedition Act to be maintained and they are seemingly immune from any repercussions but those who speak of justice for all are deemed to be seditious,” said Darell, adding that there are already adequate existing laws that will deal with crimes under the Sedition Act.
He said that the Sedition Act will now continue to be abused by the authorities, and be used arbitrarily to quell dissent. He cited the example of activists in Sabah and Sarawak who have been urging Putrajaya to recognise and uphold the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“The Sedition Act will be used to put fear in those who speak for the truth,” he said.
Petaling Jaya MP Wong Chen said he was in disbelief that Najib had gone back on his word to do away with the Act, noting that the 2012 pledge had been highly-publicised.
“I am shocked that not only has he reneged on his words, but he now wants to enhance and expand this Act. This is a very black day for democratic reforms.
“If the Government actually produces new amendments to expand the Act, human rights in the country will diminish further.
Some MPs think these tough messages from Umno could signal a new wave of crackdown,” he said. -Malay Mail
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