Sedition Act has become BN government’s tool of suppressing democracy, not preserving democracy as claimed by the Prime Minister

Press Statement by M Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat in Ipoh on 15^th May, 2015

Sedition Act has become BN government’s tool of suppressing democracy, not preserving democracy as claimed by the Prime Minister 

When launching the Institut Wasatiyyah (Moderate) Malaysia in Putrajaya yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak defended the Sedition Act, saying that the controversial amendments to the draconian law passed in Parliament recently, will preserve democracy, despite critics claiming otherwise.

His defence of the draconian law was shocking and unacceptable.

He can explain and justify with big and beautiful words, but the truth is that the Act has been used as a weapon to suppress democracy, not to preserve democracy.  

I want to first ask Najib why he has totally forgotten about his 2012 pledge to abolish the outdated draconian law.  

If he is an honorable man, the least he must do is to make a public apology for not making good his pledge. 

If he is politically honest, he should emulate former prime minister Tun Abdullah Badawi and be frank about the failure to bring about political reforms. Abdullah who failed to implement reforms had cited resistance from Umno. 

It is beyond doubt that Najib gave in to Umno’s pressures when he announced a u turn on his pledge at last year’s Umno General Assembly. 

Last year’s sedition blitz against opposition leaders shows very clearly that Sedition Act has replaced the repealed Internal Security Act to stifle political dissent and persecute the opposition.

In September last year, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail announced that the AG’s Chambers would review the cases of several individuals who were charged with sedition. What  has happened to the review? 

Najib has often talked about the concept of moderation but his failure to walk his talk has made his talk hollow.  

He can also continue to justify retention of the Sedition Act, but he will go down in history as a pseudo reformist.