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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Time to call Najib out, says Economist

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s portrayal of Malaysia as a model of moderate Islam has come under fire after he reneged on doing away with laws like the Sedition Act. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, April 11, 2015.Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s portrayal of Malaysia as a model of moderate Islam has come under fire after he reneged on doing away with laws like the Sedition Act. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, April 11, 2015.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must come clean on Malaysia’s true state of affairs, The Economist said today, amid growing concerns over issues such as troubled state firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the stifling of rights and freedom in the country.
The newspaper condemned the “widening gulf between spin and substance”, adding that Najib’s portrayal of Malaysia as “a model of moderate Islam – a multicultural democracy and a beacon of tolerance” was far from the truth as the prime minister had failed to uphold his promise to repeal colonial-era laws such as the Sedition Act 1948.
Although Najib had said three years ago he would do away with the act, Dewan Rakyat on Friday pushed through several amendments to the law, which critics said would only make it more draconian.
The changes also did away with fines, with a jail term of between three and seven years, as well as up to 20 years’ imprisonment for seditious acts or statements that led to bodily harm and property damage.
The Economist also hit out at Putrajaya’s tabling of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota), agreeing with critics who said that Najib had “in effect” reintroduced the Internal Security Act scrapped three years ago.
Pota, which allows suspects to be detained indefinitely, is allegedly aimed at curbing terrorist threats in the country but Pakatan Rakyat leaders are concerned that the law will be used against critics of the government.
Struggling state firm 1MDB is also cause for concern, said the newspaper, as the debt-laden fund made headlines in both domestic and international media over allegations of corruption and mismanagement of public funds.
More alarming though, it said, was Malaysia’s human rights record which under Najib has taken a hit.
The report gave the example of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who in February was sentenced to five years’ jail for sodomy, as well as the growing number of individuals arrested or investigated for sedition.
“Malaysia’s friends should be blunter about this where they have been mealy-mouthed,” the paper said.
“They should condemn Malaysia’s corruption, its decaying freedoms and its racial politics.
“They should call for both the Sedition Act and unlimited detention to go.”
Until ruling coalition Barisan Nasional stops “using foul as well as fair” means to curb dissent, the paper said, matters would not improve and the country’s image would continue suffer.

“It is time to call Najib out.”
- TMI

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