Repeal Sedition Act as promised, Najib told

Federal Government urged to uphold values of press freedom and lift Malaysia's ranking.

GEORGE TOWN: The Federal Government was urged today to repeal the Sedition Act and thus fulfil promises made by prime minister Najib Razak before the 2013 general election.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day today, said Najib had thrice-repeated his promise but failed to deliver on them.

In the past year the Sedition Act has been used often against journalists, activists, politicians and other critics of the Umno-Barisan Nasional administration.

Lim also urged the government to celebrate and uphold the values and principles of World Press Freedom Day, and to make a commitment to improve Malaysia’s standings in world press freedom rankings.

He accused the Federal Government of not understanding the concept of press freedom and gave as examples recent arrests and detentions of editors of Malaysian Insider and cartoonist Zunar (Zulfikar Alhaque Anwar).

Lim, who has filed libel suits against several major newspapers (including Free Malaysia Today in his capacity as Chief Minister of Penang), said recent amendments to the Sedition Act, in extending its scope to online media, would create more opportunities for abuse by the authorities as a political weapon against critics of Barisan Nasional.

Lim, his father Lim Kit Siang, and other DAP politicians including Zairil Khir Johari often contribute articles or write opinion columns in online media.