'No bail' dropped from Sedition amendments but now spreading seditious remarks also an offence

KUALA LUMPUR - Putrajaya is now pushing to make the spreading of seditious remarks an offence under revised amendments to the Sedition Act 1948.

Ahead of a Parliament debate today to amend the Sedition Act, the federal government tabled several proposed changes — including replacing the offence of importing seditious publications with the offence of propagating seditious publications.

Putrajaya also said today’s revision will now "preserve the discretion of the court whether to grant bail for sedition offences".

In its initial proposed amendment on Tuesday, Putrajaya introduced a new aggravated offence where those who committed sedition causing bodily injury or property damage would be slapped with five to 20 years jail, coupled together with a “no bail” clause.

Today, Putrajaya removed the “no bail” clause ― which disallows bail for those accused under this new offence if the public prosecutor says it is not “in the public interest” to release them.

For the same aggravated offence of making seditious remarks that can lead to bodily injury or property damage, Putrajaya has also reduced the minimum jail term from five years to three years.

The revised changes come amid critics' complaints that the initial amendments were too harsh by denying bail to aggravated sedition offenders — a treatment usually reserved for more serious cases like murder — and a long jail term period of five to 20 years.

Yesterday, Bar Council president Steven Thiru said Putrajaya’s initial proposed amendments curtails the courts’ discretionary powers in deciding on sentencing for convicted offenders, citing the minimum three year jail term proposed for sedition offences.

Steven also cited the removal of judges’ discretion in discharging a convicted offender either conditionally or unconditionally, and also in making distinctions between a first-time and a repeat offender for the aggravated sedition offence.

In the initial amendments tabled Tuesday, the courts will no longer be allowed to opt to impose a fine for first time sedition offenders, with those convicted under the Sedition Act can be jailed between three and seven years.

Today is the last day of this Parliamentary session, which had seen the government rush through several Bills, including the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act. - Malay Mail