KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 — Malaysia will only truly be independent when it discards the colonial-era Sedition Act, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today of a sedition dragnet that has now included the prosecution of a law lecturer.
The opposition leader saw dissonance in the archaic law being used to crack down on Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders and supporters, when the country was in the midst of celebrating Malaya’s 57th year of freedom from colonialism, with the independence anniversary falling just two days ago.
“True Merdeka means that we must reject this law, not use it as what the Najib government is doing, with renewed vigour and determination as an instrument of injustice and a weapon of mass oppression,” Anwar said in a statement.
The PKR de facto chief’s call followed uproar over a string of allegedly racist speeches by several Umno ministers, most notoriously Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s remarks on “arrogant” non-Malays, which the latter had aimed at DAP leaders and supporters.
“How can such flagrant use of an archaic and repressive law convince anyone that the government is serious about legislative reform?” Anwar asked.
“This will be a grave perversion of justice via the back door of the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” he added.
The Permatang Pauh MP also hit out at the authorities for arresting 156 Penang Voluntary Patrol Unit (PPS) members this week and hit out again at Ahmad Zahid for threatening action against PAS’ volunteer body Unit Amal.
Universiti Malaya (UM) law professor Assoc Prof Dr Azmi Sharom was charged earlier today with sedition for saying that the events during the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis were “legally wrong”.
The academic, who pleaded not guilty, was previously probed by the police for his quotes in a Malay Mail Online article published on August 14, titled, “Take Perak crisis route for speedy end to Selangor impasse, Pakatan told”.
Anwar said he believed in academic freedom and maintained Azmi had the right to express his views.
Azmi’s charge follows a string of cases last week where opposition lawmakers were prosecuted for sedition.
They include PAS’ Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, PKR’s Padang Serai MP N. Surendran and DAP’s Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer.
DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and PKR’s Batu MP Chua Tian Chang are also undergoing trial for sedition.
Former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who is also Changkat Jering assemblyman, was charged last week with defaming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
PKR’s Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, on the other hand, was recently charged with provoking Umno members.
