KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) must honour its pledge to abolish the Sedition Act and stop further abuse of the law, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today.

Commenting on Muslim preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin’s failed appeal against a previous sedition conviction and increased prison sentence yesterday, the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) chairman denounced the harsher penalty as “a disgrace.”

“The Sedition Act has to go! As long as it is there it will be used and misused! This is one promise PH cannot renege on.

“Stop giving lame excuses for retaining it!” Ambiga said on Twitter today.

Advertisement

Yesterday, the High Court in Shah Alam rejected Wan Ji’s appeal against his conviction for making seditious remarks against the Sultan of Selangor seven years ago.

The judge also increased the preacher’s sentence from nine months to a year, and refused to grant a stay of execution unless this came via a formal application.

Supporters of preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin hold a candlelight vigil outside the Kajang Prison July 9, 2019. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
Supporters of preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin hold a candlelight vigil outside the Kajang Prison July 9, 2019. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

Activists and civil society groups held a solidarity gathering for Wan Ji last night outside the Kajang Prison where he was being held pending the application.

Advertisement

PH pledged in its election manifesto to repeal the Sedition Act along with other security laws from the Barisan Nasional era that were seen as abusive.

After winning the general election, however, it said it would “review” these instead.

There are no direct legal obstacles preventing PH from repealing the law as it requires only a simple majority in Parliament.

The pact briefly ordered a moratorium on the enforcement of the Sedition Act last year but lifted this in December following a rise in online comments deemed insulting to Malaysia’s royalty.

The police also said previously they could continue applying the law so long as it remains a valid piece of legislation in the country.