Amid Umno's jubilant greeting over the retention of the Sedition Act 1948, former party president and prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi warned that the law should not be abused to help the party stay in power.Writing in his blog soon after his successor Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a U-turn on his promise to repeal the act, Abdullah reminded Umno members that the party could only stay in power with the people's support.
"In our enthusiasm to retain the Sedition Act, I remind Umno members that the act is not to be used to keep Umno in power.
"Umno's power and strength comes from the people's support. Remember, if the people no longer support us, there is no law on God's earth that can save Umno from losing power," Abdullah said.
The former prime minister, however, agreed with the decision to retain the colonial-era law.
He also noted the enthusiasm with which Umno delegates had shown when Najib said the act would remain in his policy speech earlier today.
"I support the decision to retain or amend any laws that protect national harmony, that uphold our constitution, that affirm the social contract forged by our forefathers.
"And that ensures that the federation of Malaysia is not destroyed by irresponsible people. All this, I support," he said before stating his caution.
At the Umno general assembly, Najib had said the Sedition Act would not only be retained, but strengthened with amendments to protect the sanctity of Islam, curb insults against other religions and to punish anyone who called for the secession of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia.
Najib said he decided this after considering feedback from Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Wanita Umno, Pemuda Umno, Puteri Umno, the grassroots, as well as non-governmental organisations.
"Hence I, as the prime minister, decided that the Sedition Act 1948 will remain," he said, amid roars of approval from the delegates gathered at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
He said this was Umno's wish, adding that he believed their friends in Barisan Nasional (BN) would be with them.
Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong, however, issued a nuanced protest in a statement this afternoon, noting public dissatisfaction over the abuse of the act against academics and public intellectuals.
"Gerakan's fervent hope is that the Sedition Act will eventually be replaced with a comprehensive National Harmony Act. The new framework must include a set of punitive and positive measures to ensure societal stability but at the same time promotes national unity and harmony," he said.
Noting the "long struggle" of 20 years to repeal the Internal Security Act, Mah said he believed a repeal of the Sedition Act would be done "when all parties are ready and open minded".
"In line with the growing tide of democratisation, I believe this will eventually happen.
"In the meantime, I urge the authorities to act without fear and favour and do not abuse the Sedition Act to silence legitimate political dissent."
Mah noted that the failure to charge Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali over the call to burn the Malay language Bibles had fuelled perceptions that the act has not been used in a fair and just manner. – November 27, 2014.
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