In a strongly-worded statement today, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim said that Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 2012 promise to repeal the Sedition Act is “more and more watered down” as Barisan Nasional parliamentary responses showed that Putrajaya was giving way to right wing extremists.
Sim urged the Prime Minister to make good his pledge to repeal the Act “unless he admits to lying to Malaysians or being cowed by right wing extremists.”
In a written reply to Sim’s question in Parliament asking why Najib had not delivered upon his pledge to abolish the Act, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Hajah Nancy Binti Haji Shukri said that the government would do so after “only after a consultation process”.
From her reply, Sim said that this showed Najib allowing right wing extremists dictate government agenda despite projecting himself as a moderate leader globally.
Broken promise as Najib gives way to right wing extremists
Earlier this year, Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching asked a similar question in Parliament but was denied an answer by Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia who said that there were “ill assumptions” that could be derived from the question.
Najib had on July 2012 promised to repeal the colonial era Sedition Act in favour of a more democratic nation. This was prior to GE 13.
Sim said that Najib had not been firm with regard to this promise as soon as UMNO returned to power following the elections.
“And we can see how Najib is slowly giving way to right wing extremists who seek to maintain this imperialist legislation which was meant to gag the democratic rights of the people, or in the words of progressive UMNO leader, former deputy minister Saifuddin Abdullah – “to strike fear in people” ,” he said.
Saifuddin had opined that the Prime Minister was “pressured by those around him” not to proceed with abolishing the Act.
“Bad excuse” to keep the Act
Two days ago, Wanita UMNO Chief Sharizat Abdul Jalil urged Najib to halt all efforts to repeal the Act and consult the party’s grassroot members before making a decision.
Speaking at a closed-door forum on “Understanding the Sedition Act”, she said that the women’s group would submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister and launch a petition drive to support the Act.
Sharizat, Wanita UMNO and many other right wing groups such as Perkasa and ISMA have agreed that the law stay put to “guarantee internal security and public order”.
However, Steven Sim, like many Pakatan Rakyat leaders dismissed this as an “obvious bad excuse”.
“Even with the Sedition Act, prosecution is random with those targeted being overwhelmingly those who oppose the ruling party, UMNO,” he said.
He said that this year alone, 40 people have been investigated, charged and convicted under the Act, including Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, opposition politicians, academics and one journalist.
Sim explained that to ensure public order and prevent hate crimes, there are laws including the Penal Code that could be used instead. Therefore, he explained that there is no need to resort to the Sedition Act – which he believes is vague and often abused.
He asked that a moratorium be imposed on the enforcement of the Act including those currently being investigated for sedition and that a parliamentary committee be established to review and consider the proposals of the National Unity Consultative Council to replace the Act. Sim even urged the government to be done with the Act by the end of this Parliamentary sitting.
Despite repeated calls from rights groups and even international observers, the Najib UMNO premiership has shown no sign of delivering on the pre-election promise to abolish the archaic law. – The Rocket
