KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — Former two-time prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has alleged that the authorities’ move to bar discussions about race, religion and royalty — dubbed the 3Rs — is an attempt to silence public dissent against the government.
He added that freedom of speech today is only for those who support the government.
“At this time, especially during elections, statements that are historically true are considered by the print media as sedition.
“With the prohibition on 3R, the rakyat are gagged,” he said in a brief statement on his Facebook page amid intense campaigning in the last week leading to this Saturday's polling date for six states elections.
The 98-year-old who now backs the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim whom he addressed as “PMX”, was known for his cries of reformasi when the latter was in the Opposition. “Among the reforms demanded was the freedom of speech and freedom of print media.
“Now freedom of speech is limited to those supporting the government,” Dr Mahathir said.
The Anwar administration is considering making new laws to deal specifically with sensitive issues that touch on race, religion and the country’s royal institution after being criticised for using the sweeping colonial-era Sedition Act 1948 on its political rivals.
PN election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor who is seeking a second-term as Kedah menteri besar in this Saturday’s state election is the latest high-profile public figure to be slapped with two counts of sedition last month for remarks made about the appointment of the Selangor menteri besar and the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional “unity government” in which the Selangor Sultan’s name was mentioned.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has said that the government is looking to see if existing laws such as the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Sedition Act 1948, are sufficient to deal with the 3R issues.
