KUALA LUMPUR: The government hopes to present the draft of the National Harmony Bill, which replaces the Sedition Act, to Parliament by the end of next year.
In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, it said until the new legislation was in place, existing cases must be tried under existing laws.
“Any charges under the Sedition Act are a matter for the courts. Malaysia’s judiciary is independent, as the verdicts of many cases prove,” the statement said.
It said the drafting of the Bill was taking time because it was being done in consultation with civil society and the public and a number of recommendations had been received, including from the National Unity Consultative Council and were currently being studied.
“Like (in) other countries, we are working to find the right balance between freedom of speech and national harmony in the age of online media,” it said.
The statement also said that the government welcomed feedback from all sections of society regarding the bill which it said intended to be a comprehensive, fair and lasting piece of legislation that promoted national harmony whilst protecting Malaysian citizens from racial or religious hatred. -Bernama