MARCH 31 — Sisters in Islam (SIS), Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) and Projek Dialog condemn in the strongest terms the latest crackdown on The Edge publisher and The Malaysian Insider (TMI) editors and chief executive officer as a malicious tactic to silence the debate on the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code.
We call for the immediate release of Ho Kay Tat and Jahabar Sadiq who are still in detention, and for an end to the harassment against TMI.
We hold that:
a. The implementation of the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code is a matter of national interest;
b. The consent of the Conference of Rulers is instrumental for any changes in the administration of Islamic affairs; and
c. TMI is merely serving the public interest in attempting to find out and report the Conference of Rulers’ position on the matter.
Even if TMI had allegedly misreported the Conference of Rulers’ position — which is not in the public domain — the subsequent denial by the Keeper of the Royal Seal, which was widely reported, would have been sufficient in correcting any facts on the matter.
To treat misreporting the Conference of Rulers’ rejection of the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code as seditious implies that a negative position against the Code is effectively illegitimate.
In doing so, the police is abusing its power by attempting to set the tone of the debate on the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code. The police is therefore not just persecuting these individuals for carrying out their work, but also undermining the constitutional right of all Malaysians to speak up and be heard on a matter that has such far-reaching implications.
Through such abuse of power, the police is making itself a threat to Constitutionalism.
* This is the view of the individuals or organisations and does not necessarily represent the opinion of Malay Mail Online.
