Harapan failed to repeal Sedition Act when it had the chance: ex-Bar chief

Pakatan Harapan had a chance to repeal the Sedition Act 1948 but they did not do so, said former Malaysian Bar president  K Ragunath.

"We have been going on (pushing to repeal the Sedition Act) for the last 10 years.

"Whether Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan (Nasional), they are still the same.

"They (Harapan) had the opportunity to repeal but did not," he said.

Ragunath (above) added: "(Former) attorney-general did not do anything, ministers didn't do anything.

"In fact, they were all justifying the use of sedition act and now we pay the same price again.

"Regardless change of the government, the issue remains the same, the (issue of) freedom of expression has gone back to square one," he told the media outside the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

Earlier, Ragunath represented activist Fadiah Nadwa Fikri (above), who was summoned over a rally at Dataran Merdeka on Saturday night during the week of intense political turmoil.

Harapan promised in its election manifesto to abolish the Sedition Act.

In July last year, former home minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is now the prime minister, had said that the government was "reviewing" the law, but had not decided what to do with it.

However, the then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad later reiterated that Putrajaya would abolish the Sedition Act and replace it with a new law.

During the reign of Harapan government, the law had been used to investigate the organisers of the Women's March and preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin. - Mkini