Najib: Cabinet to discuss controversial evidence law

Najib: Cabinet to discuss controversial evidence law

August 14, 2012

Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak said tonight Putrajaya will discuss the controversial amendment to the Evidence Act after much of Malaysian cyberspace blacked out to protest the law that threatens freedom of expression on the Internet.

The prime minister's comment came after at least three Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers called for a review of Section 114A of the law, which presumes guilt and responsibility for comments made online.

"I have asked Cabinet to discuss section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950. Whatever we do we must put people first," Najib (picture) posted in his Twitter microblogging site tonight.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, and MCA Senator Gan Ping Sieu added their backing to a growing chorus of protest against the new law.

The campaign against the new law that threatens to curtail freedom of expression online here has widened with many organisations, including the Bar Council and DAP taking down their websites in the Internet Blackout Day today.

Tech-savvy DAP leader Lim Kit Siang and human rights lawyer Edmund Bon pledged to go offline for 24 hours while others will support a pop-up to promote the Stop 114A campaign. They include Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Hishamuddin Rais (Tukar Tiub), Uppercaise, Nat Tan, Niki Cheong, Anil Netto, Juana Jaafar, Sarawak Bloggers, Fahmi Fadzil and myasylum.

The new law was passed by the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara in April this year and was gazetted on July 31 by de facto law Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.