SANDAKAN: The government should look seriously into the abolition of the Sedition Act 1948 without further ado, said former Sandakan member of parliament Datuk VK Liew.
“This is because the Prime Minister had said in 2010, on the eve of Malaysia Day on September 15, 2011 when the infamous Internal Security Act 1960 was abolished, that no individual will ever be detained simply due to differences in political ideology,” said the former chairman of the Malaysian Law Reform Committe, in a statement yesterday.
“However, in this month-long independence celebration, the nation has witnessed the unprecedented arrest of 19 people, including religious leaders, civil society actors, political opposition members and activists, a university professor, a practicing lawyer and a journalist, who have either been charged or placed under investigation for sedition,” he said.
Liew said this does not augur well for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s transformation programs and his human rights’ records as he is seen to be curbing free speech and freedom of expression.
“It does not stop people from thinking that he is using the Sedition Act arbitrarily to silence critical voices,” said Liew, who was the Prime Minister’s former deputy minister for law and parliamentary affairs.
He added the Prime Minister could not also say that it is simply a matter for the courts.
“It is like passing the ‘buck’ to another body without wanting to be seen as responsible for the action. It is simply not right.
“People will respect leaders who keep their promises. As we all know, not keeping a promise has serious consequences of a person’s character and integrity,” said Liew.
“We have all seen how a certain leader robbed my presidency by reneging on his promise, after a gentleman’s agreement that was minuted in a Supreme Council meeting had been recorded, he and his deputy saw it fit to break it just to suit their political greed.
“How do you expect the people to respect such leaders? They are no more gentleman in the eyes of the people,” said Liew at a gathering of more than 400 of his supporters on the eve of Malaysia Day in Sandakan.
Present were 11 divisional leaders, Youth and Wanita members from Tanjung Papat, Karamunting, Sekong, Gum-Gum, Sungei Sibuga, Elopura, Tungku, Lahad Datu, Sulaiman, Karambunai, Likas and Kapayan.
Among them were Tiong King Kiong, Datuk Kwan Weng Hung, Micheal Lee Hing Huat, Micheal David Tsen, Yap Mah Kun, Christopher Lee, Chong Siew Yun, Jackson Chang, Wilson Lee, Loretto Padua, Chung Kok Leong, Jennifer Chan and Wong Chi Fun.