Zam: Sedition Act is why I stopped writing

He was investigated under the Sedition Act on January 15 over a December 6 posting in his blog.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin has disclosed that it was only after convincing himself that the police are not “barua” to Umno that he decided to resume his writing which he had earlier decided to stop. “It’s not as if I did not keep my promise.”

He was squashing speculation which had arisen ever since he declared that he would stop his political writing. “My decision at that time was to keep my sanity,” he said. “I didn’t want my peace of mind to be affected by financial and other pressures if I am called up to defend myself against any charges.”

He was confirming the story behind the story and appeared to indicate that an investigation against him under the Sedition Act had been dropped. Apparently, that encouraged him to resume his political writing.

He was investigated, he revealed, under the Sedition Act on January 15 over a December 6 posting in his blog, Hakim-Hakim Menunggu Hasil Rundingan Kes Liwat Anwar. Akibat negara tidak dibawah pimpinan Dynamic dan Inspiring. (Judges await the results of negotiations on Anwar’s sodomy case. The result is that the nation will not be under dynamic and inspiring leadership).

The posting, he added, touched on the sodomy verdict in Anwar’s case being subject to the golf meeting in Hawaii between US President Obama and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak amidst pressure being applied by the US Vice President and the US Ambassador to Malaysia.

“I did not disclose the investigation to the media and protest over it at that time,” said Zainuddin. “I didn’t want it to be politicised since it may convey the wrong impression to the police although I had been earlier persuaded that there may have been elements of selective prosecution behind the investigation.”