PETALING JAYA, Oct 5 — Malaysians have never enjoyed as much freedom of expression since Merdeka as now, under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, Tan Sri Tommy Thomas claimed today.
The attorney general (AG) whose appointment drew much flak on social media said the lack of prosecution against anyone who criticised him and the government is proof democracy in the country is at levels unheard of since Independence.
“There is no doubt that in the last 16 months, there has been far more space given to the individuals and to the critics of the government.
“And there is no doubt that Malaysia has never had this much of democracy from Merdeka days, and there is a thriving social media which spends time unphysically attacking me for 16 months, and yet no one has been prosecuted. So that’s the best clue for the space you have,” Thomas said at the close of the regional LawAsia Constitutional and Rule of Law Conference 2019 here.
PH, which took federal power after winning the general election last year, has sought to reform its public institutions and open up space for free speech as one of the constitutional guarantees, even though it has also borne the brunt of backlash.
The coalition, whose members had been hauled up for investigation under the previous Najib administration, is also seeking to restructure archaic laws, including the dreaded Sedition Act 1948.
Repealing the Sedition Act was one of the law reforms promised in the PH election manifesto.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s had in July said that his government is looking into replacing the Sedition Act with new laws.
