Minister expects Sedition Act to be replaced or repealed this year

The much criticised Sedition Act will either be replaced or repealed by this year, according to de facto Law Minister Liew Vui Keong.

Thought Sedition Act is under the purview of the Home Ministry, Liew said he has been working together with P Waythamoorthy and Mujahid Yusof Rawa, the de facto ministers in charge of unity and Islamic affairs respectively, as well as with Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo to come up with alternatives.

This includes the possibility of an entirely new law, or to make some provisions of the Sedition Act as part of the Penal Code.

"Not all statements made can be considered seditious. We want to make sure certain statements enjoy freedom.

"But it's not that we will allow everyone to simply make statements to defame the rulers, and of course certain politicians, especially our leaders," Liew said at a group interview in Putrajaya recently.

He was quick to add that the Pakatan Harapan government welcomes constructive criticisms that can help it to improve.

The Sedition Act is among draconian laws that the Harapan government put under review after taking power.

The colonial-era law has been labelled by critics as a tool to silence dissent against the government.

Meanwhile, on constitutional amendments needed to fulfil some of Harapan's pledges, Liew (photo) was less keen on getting bipartisan support.

He related how efforts to amend Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to restore Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners to Malaya, had initially obtained support from the opposition MPs.

However, he said, these MPs did not vote in support of the amendments at the last minute, possibly due to instructions from the parliamentary whips of their parties.

Therefore, Liew said, securing defections to get a two-thirds majority in Parliament would be more favourable.

"The best guarantee we can have is for us to have that two-thirds majority... 148 MPs in our pocket. That will make things easier," he said.

As to how this could be achieved he said, it would be left to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

On a separate matter, Liew said the government was still waiting for Attorney-General Tommy Thomas to get back to it with the terms of reference for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the judiciary.

"We are still waiting (for the terms of reference)," he said. He shook his head when asked to confirm that the AG had not brought this matter to the cabinet.

In an affidavit filed in February, Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer had claimed several instances of judicial interference in high profile trials, as well as a plot by members of the judiciary to defraud public funds. - Mkini