The Sedition Act shadow play

Those who want to retain the Act also want to retain the culture of colonisers, where if they doubt the loyalty of the locals or fail to earn their support, they simply instill fear in them.

By K. Harinderan

PETALING JAYA: Najib’s government is wavering on repealing the Sedition Act. And there is a small group of people lending their weight to make sure the Act stays.

Former IGP Musa Hassan and former Bukit Aman CID Zaman Khan,former Appeals Court judge Mohd Noor Abdullah are passionate about retaining the Sedition Act as are many UMNO members.

There are also roadshows across the nation to drum up support to retain the Sedition Act which many say is being abused to curtail those who speak out.

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim, posted on his blog — The Zaidgeist — that: “Our top leaders, including the Prime Minister, have not understood the rationale for or the significance of repealing the act.

“Roadshows are currently being conducted across the nation to drum up support for retaining the Act, but they need not waste their time.

“At this rate, it isn’t going anywhere.”

He explained that what was clear from this debate about the Sedition Act was that: there is still a large group of Malays / Muslims who are offering the same old solutions to the country’s problems.

” They still want to retain the culture of colonisers, where if they doubt the loyalty of the locals or fail to earn their support, they simply instill fear in them.

They use harsh laws to supress them,” he said .

Zaid called on the government to take a different approach, one that is consistent with a modern way of governing the country.

“Malaysia has been an independent country for many decades now, after all, so surely it’s time we follow the practices of other democracies.

” This means educating the people, persuading them and gaining their trust and respect so that no one would feel the need to utter “seditious” words to create trouble.

“It’s time we treat our people with the respect they deserve,” he said.

He said if the Prime Minister and his supporters say we need the Sedition Act to maintain harmony and to prevent racial strife, then they are admitting that there is neither trust nor harmony among the country’s various communities.

They are acknowledging that they know of no other way to deal with dissenters (besides throwing 1Malaysia slogans and badges at them).

If there is no loyalty, it’s the leaders’ responsibility to find ways to instill love and respect for King and country. Hammering the people with jail sentences breeds more hatred, not love. Sowing fear is not the work of smart people, but of militants and terrorists.

Smart people in developed nations look at the source of the problem and offer solutions.

They don’t get excited about showing how unafraid they are of Chinese and Christians.

In his blog Zaid said that they say Singapore also has a Sedition Act, so why can’t we?

“There is a difference, you see: Singapore’s institutions, be it the Police or the Prosecutors’ office, have always acted professionally.

These agencies act on the understanding that the criteria for sedition must be the same whether the alleged offenders are Malay, Indian or Chinese.

These agencies take action against any Singaporean, whoever they are. Seditious words uttered by a Malay would still be classified as seditious if they are said by a Chinese PAP branch chairman.

But in Malaysia, things are different.

Seditious words uttered by a Malay or Muslim leader are viewed differently, but if a DAP branch chairman or a Christian pastor were to use the same rhetoric that they would be accused of creating “public disorder”, prompting the use of the Sedition Act against them.

As our former Attorney-General Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said, “let there not be selective prosecution and persecution for sedition cases.”

That’s why we need to repeal the Sedition Act.

It is to show that our leaders and the country are willing to move to new frontiers. It would show a new level of self-confidence among Malays/Muslims.

He said Malaysia had enough laws to take care of the real troublemakers.

“By doing away with it, Malays/Muslims in Umno or Isma can say to other Malaysians: We accept you as citizens of this country and we trust you and your good judgment.

“We know that as citizens of this free country, you have the right to be critical and to express your views, but we are confident you will be reasonable and have the best of intentions for the country,” said Zaid .

By repealing the Sedition Act, Malays/Muslim s can say to non-Malays that there are no enemies within, and that no one is more loyal to King and country than anybody else. That’s the significance of repealing the Act.

Zaid said: “Our leaders should focus on finding ways to engage with non-Malay Malaysians as fellow travellers in this Malaysian journey. We would all be better off if we collaborated and cooperated with one another.

“This is the way forward for all of us. I am surprised the Prime Minister could not see how repealing the Sedition Act would bring positive changes to the country.

“It would affirm his position as a reformer who wants to change the country’s course for the better. We all need to grow up before we can have a better Malaysia,” he said.