Nurul Izzah in bid to expedite Sedition Act repeal

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — PKR Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar (picture) has submitted a Private Members Bill in a bid to repeal the Sedition Act following the widespread use of the law to clamp down on dissent recently.

The PKR vice-president said the Bill was submitted to the Dewan Rakyat secretary’s office yesterday.

“More than a year ago Datuk Seri Najib Razak had announced the government’s decision to abolish the Sedition Act 1948 and replace with a law that will be known as the National Harmony Act.

“Unfortunately, the public is still waiting for Datuk Seri Najib to fulfil his promise, in fact they are stunned by the legal action on activists and Pakatan Rakyat politicians by using the Sedition Act post-Election 2013,” she told a press conference in Parliament here.

Following protests against alleged fraud in Election 2013, two Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders and two activists were hauled up for sedition in an apparent crackdown on dissenters.

The authorities said the arrests were made in relation to a May 13 forum where the four had made seditious statements by calling on the public to overthrow the government through violent street demonstrations.

The action came despite Najib’s announcement in July last year that the Sedition Act will be repealed and replaced with a National Harmony Act, as well as his call for “national reconciliation” following divisive national polls.

“The public is certainly asking why isn’t the government keeping its word to abolish the Sedition Act 1948? After a year passed by, the fact is without the Sedition Act, there are already existing laws that can deal with any elements detrimental to society,” Nurul Izzah said.

The second-term Lembah Pantai MP pointedly noted that she is “certain” that Najib would want to heed the calls for the colonial-era law to be repealed.

“BN’s popular mandate of 47 per cent necessitates the need for Datuk Seri Najib Razak to heed the demand by PR which represents 51 per cent of the Malaysian popular vote, let alone to fulfil his own pledge (to repeal the law),” she said.