Najib Instructs Cabinet To Review Section 114A Of Evidence Act

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Miister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has once again proven that his government regards the people's views as top priority when he directed the Cabinet to review controversial amendments to Section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950.

Section 114A is one of two amendments passed in April and gazetted on June 31.

"I have asked the Cabinet to discuss Section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950. Whatever we do we must put people first," said Najib in his Twitter Tuesday.

Najib is presently in Mecca for the two-day Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Extraordinary Summit beginning today.

The directive by the prime minister who is an active Facebook, blog and Twitter user, on the contentious amendments which are being hotly debated on the Internet reflects prompt response by a national leader to an issue.

Campaigns on the Act spurred by the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and banners via Facebook with the heading "Stop 114A" have been downloaded by the diverse internet users in the country.

A popular forum in Malaysia, cari.com.my has resorted to using plain black and white colour on its site as a mark of protest against the Act.

Section 114A is argued to be lopsided as it can liberally bring to court those who publish and replicate or post seditious and defamatory contents in the Internet regardless of whether or not the material originated from them.