KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak criticised the Bar Council today for openly discussing the contents of the yet-to-be finalised national harmony Bills, hailed as progressive laws that have met strong resistance from conservative members of the establishment.
The prime minister said the disclosure was against the spirit on which the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) was founded, adding that the consultation process in drafting the laws were meant to be done “confidentially”.
“NUCC is not the right forum and platform to discuss this… it is meant to be done confidentially,” Najib told reporters after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting here.
“What the Bar Council is doing is against the purpose of the NUCC. All the discussions and details should be discussed behind closed doors,” he said, but without naming anyone in particular.
It is unclear why the prime minister singled out the Bar Council as it was the NUCC that had initiated the public consultations before drawing up the three harmony laws to replace the archaic Sedition Act 1948.
The NUCC is proposing three laws: the Racial, Religious and Hate Crimes bill, which outlaws hate speech; the National Harmony and Reconciliation Bill, which prohibits discrimination; and the National Harmony and Reconciliation Commission Bill, which details the functions of the commission that will inquire into complaints of discrimination.
The Bills have since been opposed by right wing government supporters who claimed the proposed laws were created by “atheist liberals” to undermine Malay rule.
Among its critics is former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who suggested the Bills’ emphasis on merits would make the country’s ethnic majority lag behind.
Dr Mahathir also said the Bills have no safeguards to Malay special privileges, Islam and the position of the Malay Rulers.
The criticism had likely prompted Najib to act as he announced today the setting up of a party committee that will look into and proposed necessary amendments to the Bill.
“Umno’s stand on this matter is that it must express its views and suggestions regarding the Bill.
“Therefore we will set up a committee under Umno’s constitutional and legal bureau to study this for the government to consider,” said Najib, who is also the Malay party’s president.
He added that the committee emphasise on drafting provisions for the Bills that will safeguard special Malay privileges, Islam as the official religion and the position of the Malay rulers.
