By
Anisah Shukry (MI)
Published: 9 October
2014 A string of people have been charged with sedition, including elected
members of parliament, politicians, human rights defenders, academics, lawyers,
students and journalists. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 9, 2014.
The United Nations (UN)
has again urged Malaysia to withdraw the Sedition Act 1948, after receiving
reports that Putrajaya is increasingly criminalising criticism towards the
government or its officials. In a statement, four UN rapporteurs said the
Sedition Act was being used in a way that prevents Malaysians from expressing
and debating, freely and openly, a diverse range of political opinions and
ideas. “It is time for Malaysia to adjust its legislation, including the 1948
Sedition Act, to be in line with international human rights standards, and take
firm steps towards the effective enjoyment of the right to freedom of
expression,” they said today.
The UN Human Rights
Commissioner’s office last month expressed concern over the arbitrary use of
the Sedition Act in the country. The four UN rapporteurs comprise the Special
Rapporteur on freedom of expression: David Kaye, the Special Rapporteur on the
rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Maina Kiai, the
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Michel Forst;
and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Gabriela
Knaul.
The independent experts
said they had received reports of at least 23 recent cases of persons charged
with sedition, including elected members of parliament, politicians, human
rights defenders, academics, lawyers, students and journalists. They said that
as recently as March, Malaysia had committed to the Human Rights Council to
address international concerns regarding the Sedition Act, which they said
“outlaws vague offences”. “We wish to build on this commitment and engage in a
dialogue with the Malaysian authorities to end the criminalisation and
prosecution of what appears to be legitimate exercise of the right to freedom
of opinion and expression. “We have offered our support to the authorities in
this way forward,” the rapporteurs said.
According to the UN’s
press release, its experts had expressed concern over Malaysia’s Sedition Act
on several occasions. “The first UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of
expression, Abid Hussain, who visited Malaysia 16 years ago, expressed concerns
at the time that the Sedition Act could be used to suppress expression and curb
peaceful assembly.”
This morning, The
Malaysian Insider reported that police were now investigating former Bar
Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan for sedition over remarks made about
the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) or National Civics Bureau.
Last week,
constitutional expert Dr Abdul Aziz Bari was asked to give his statement to
police after reports were lodged against him for allegedly insulting the Sultan
of Selangor.
Earlier last month,
activists Safwan Anang and Adam Adli Abd Halim were sentenced to 10 months and
12 months in prison respectively, for remarks made at a May 13 forum last year
calling on the people to take to the streets over the general election results.
Activist Ali Abd Jalil faces three sedition charges for allegedly insulting the
Johor royalty and the Selangor Sultan in Facebook postings. Ali, declared a
prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was released on bail after
being detained for more than 20 days. On September 26, opposition leader Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim had his statement recorded by police over a report lodged
against him in 2011, where he allegedly uttered seditious remarks over his
second sodomy case.
On September 20, police
recorded a statement from lawyer Edmund Bon, who is being investigated for
sedition for saying that non-Muslims are not subject to fatwas or the shariah
courts. Former Selangor PAS ulama committee member, Wan Ji Wan Hussin, was
charged on September 10 with sedition after posting allegedly seditious words
on Facebook that belittled the Selangor Sultan’s role as head of Islamic
matters in the state.
On September 4,
journalist Susan Loone was arrested in Penang over her article based on an
interview with state executive council member Phee Boon Poh and the mass
arrests of the state’s Voluntary Patrol Unit (PPS) on Merdeka Day.
Other opposition
politicians who have been charged with sedition include Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli,
Padang Serai MP N. Surendran, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Batu MP Chua Tian Chang,
Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad and Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer. – October
9, 2014.
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