Sarawak for Sarawakians slogan not seditious, motorists can stick the message on their vehicles
A ‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’ sticker pasted on a mobile phone casing.
Roslan receives the Bubur Lambuk on behalf of the three departments from SPPA members. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The police have assured motorists that no action will be taken against them for pasting the S4S (“Sarawak for Sarawakians”) stickers on their cars and motorcycles as the slogan is not considered to be instigating.
This was stated by Kuching district police chief ACP Roslan Bek Ahmad in response to rumours that police and JPJ would mount operations to remove such stickers from vehicles.
However, he cautioned police personnel against sticking it on their own or the departmental vehicles.
“As civil servants you must be seen to be neutral in order to carry out your responsibilities well and with the highest integrity,” he explained.
Roslan said this to the media when presenting 1,000 packets of “Bubur Lambuk” donated to the police, firemen and civil defence personnel by members of the Sarawak Press Photographers Association (SPPA) here yesterday.
Meanwhile, several lawyers here opined that law enforcers would have no locus standi to summon or arrest motorists who stick ‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’ (or S4S) stickers on their vehicles.
This is because the slogan is already popular and generally used by the public for multiple purposes and meanings.
One big group that carry the S4S slogan are fans of the state football team, argued a lawyer. The slogan is also used by groups and sub-groups on the social media, notably Facebook.
Another lawyer, who requested anonymity, said there was no provision in the Road Transport Act 1987 preventing such stickers from being pasted on vehicles, as long as they do not cause obstruction to the drivers.
Hence, any directive to remove S4S stickers by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) would be against the freedom of expression and leaned towards an abuse of power.
Several other lawyers believed that it would be difficult to press charges against these motorists because the S4S slogan carried multiple meanings and purposes.
If the authority acted now, the question would be whether the action is reasonable under Sedition (Amendment) Act 2015 as the slogan carried multiple meanings and purpose.
In the United States for instance, there was a ‘Texas for Texans’ sticker but no arrest had ever been reported.
When contacted yesterday, state police chief Datuk Seri Muhammad Sabtu Osman and a state JPJ spokesman said they had never issued any directive to book motorists displaying S4S stickers on their vehicles.