Parti Amanah Negara Youth vice-chief Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar's conviction under the Sedition Act 1948 has sparked a chorus of condemnation from both local and international NGOs.
Amnesty International's Southeast Asia and the Pacific deputy director, Josef Benedict, described the conviction as a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression.
"Malaysia’s sedition law is a crude colonial-era instrument designed to silence dissent. It has no place in a modern rights-respecting society and should be repealed immediately," he said in a statement today.
Fakhrulrazi was today sentenced to eight months in jail for sedition at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur. However, he was granted a stay pending appeal.
He was charged with making comments at a rally in February last year where he called for the release of former jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, suggested the judiciary was influenced by politicians and alleged the prime minister and his wife were involved in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Meanwhile, Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH) criticised the conviction, stating that the comments made by Fakhrulrazi were not seditious.
"There was no rioting or public disorder as a result of his statement.
"It proves that no one was incited by his statements which were clearly not seditious," said GHAH's Amir Abd Hadi.
Amir reiterated GHAH's call to abolish the Sedition Act 1948 which he described as "irrelevant".
Electoral reform group Bersih said the conviction was another huge step backwards for freedom of expression in the country.
"Besides Fakhrulrazi, eight other activists including Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and Bersih manager Mandeep Singh were also charged with participating in the KitaLawan rally last year.
"The Najib administration seems to be more interested in cracking down on civil society and activists, although Malaysia is facing the largest corruption scandal in our history.
"To date, not a single arrest or charge was made with regard to the 1MDB scandal," it said.
Bersih urged all existing sedition charges be dropped and a moratorium be imposed on the law pending review and abolition. - Mkini
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