Home Ministry: Sedition Act still stands, police only acting on report

The Sedition Act will continue to be used until it is amended or repealed, says Deputy Home Minister Mohd Azis Jamman.

"As long as there is no official announcement, that means this law stands as it is," he said.

Mohd Azis added that IGP Fuzi Mohamad Harun had explained to him the reasons behind the arrest of Azman Noor Adam under the Sedition Act.

"The IGP said that this Act still exists - there is no abolishment or changes made to it so far.

“A report was lodged against Azman, so the police had acted according to the current SOP (standard operating procedure),” he said to reporters after launching the National Registration Day at the National Registration Department in Putrajaya.

Police arrested Azman, the brother of Umno supreme council member Lokman Noor Adam, for allegedly uploading a picture that insulted Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on social media.

Lokman said that officers from the Shah Alam District police headquarters had arrested his brother about 3am on Tuesday at his home in Bukit Subang.

Selangor Crime Investigation Department head Fadzil Ahmat confirmed that police detained Azman under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act.

In response to the incident, Harapan leaders had criticised the continued use of the Sedition Act 1948, amid the coalition working towards abolishing the contentious security law.

Among them were de facto Deputy Law Minister Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng and PKR supreme council member Latheefa Koya.

“I think the home minister and the Attorney-General’s Chambers should be reprimanding the police for continuing to use (this law)... whoever in charge should give directives to the police to use the law no more, respect the manifesto of the government,” Latheefa had said. - Mkini