Ambiga: Judiciary can stop abuse of Sedition Act

 

The judiciary is the only institution which can stop the abuse of the Sedition Act, said former Bar Council president S Ambiga.

"It is the only institution that stands between the people and those abusing power," she added.

She also pointed out that lawyer Edmund Bon, who is under investigation for sedition, was merely offering his legal opinion when he said non-Muslims were not subjected to fatwas.

"I agree with his opinion. You may think it is wrong, but it is his view and it was a legal opinion," said Ambiga, who was one of the guest speakers at the launch of the Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH) last night.

Bon was called up by the police last week over comments he made in an article published by The Malaysian Insider.

Ambiga, the co-founder of NGO Negaraku and former Bersih co-chairperson, also said that the government's actions are the catalyst for hate and contempt.

"It is what they are doing to us that is bringing them to hate and contempt," she added.

Activist Safwan Anang, who recently received a 10-month jail sentence for sedition, told the audience that he was given the jail sentence because he was not a politician.

"We know that (PKR MPs) Tian Chua and N Surendran were charged so that there will be by-elections in Batu and Padang Serai, where having to pay a fine of just RM2,001 will forfeit their parliamentary seats.

"Since I am not a politician, that is why I was given a jail sentence," he added.

According to Safwan, no one is safe under the Act with the exception of Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali.

"Only he will be safe from being charged under the Act, although everyone knows how this 'frog' (a term used in reference of Ibrahim hopping to different political parties) is the king of all things seditious," he added.

'Those around Najib will not allow repeal'

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya law lecturer Azmi Sharom labelled the Sedition Act as the biggest "penghasut" (inciter) as it is "anti-democracy".

"The Act is against democracy and against the country's identity. That's why it needs to be abolished," added the academic, who was charged under the Act recently.

DAP's Lim Kit Siang, who was accused of making seditious remarks against Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, said the country was not becoming the “world's best democracy” as mentioned by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"What that has been happening (spate of arrests under the Sedition Act) is quite the opposite," he said.

Former deputy minister Saifuddin Abdullah (left) said that even if Najib wanted to abolish the Act, those around him would not agree.

"We should show him (PM) that we want the Act to be abolished. Amending the Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU) was hard, but I believe that together, the message will be delivered.

"Malaysians have their own strength to ensure it will be abolished," he said.

Saifuddin said that the country will not be a good democracy "if we continue nurturing the culture of fear".