United States Vice-President Joe Biden has expressed concern over the stifling of the opposition in Malaysia with the use of the Sedition Act and other laws.

He also commented on the upcoming verdict for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's final appeal against his sodomy conviction.

In a Twitter posting today, Biden said amid growing US-Malaysia ties, the Malaysian government's use of the legal system and Sedition Act to stifle the opposition raises rule of law concerns.

However, he expressed hope that the government would make things right through Anwar’s case.

"Anwar's appeal gives Malaysia a vital chance to make things right and promote confidence in its democracy and judiciary," Biden ( left ) added.

Biden’s call today is reminiscent of former US vice president Al Gore who had famously rebuked the Malaysian government for suppressing freedom, even praising Malaysians who had rallied against former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad as “brave”.

''And so, among nations suffering economic crises, we continue to hear calls for democracy and reform in many languages – people's power, doi moi , reformasi .

''We hear them today – right here, right now – among the brave people of Malaysia,'' Gore had said back in 1998 at the annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, although he had always been criticised for trying to foster closer ties with the US, made a complete U-turn when he announced that the Sedition Act will be retained as well as fortified at the Umno general assembly last week.

Najib had said that the Act would be strengthened to protect Islam and other faiths, as well as to deal with calls for secession of Sabah and Sarawak.

The Federal Court is still preparing the judgment on Anwar’s final appeal to set aside his conviction and five years’ jail sentence for sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, six years ago.

The highest court in the country will make its ruling on whether to allow or dismiss Anwar’s appeal to set aside his conviction and jail sentence imposed by the Court of Appeal on March 7 this year, after it had overturned a High Court decision to acquit him.

Act protects every Malaysian

In a statement issued this evening, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the government has decided to retain and strengthen the Sedition Act in the interest of preserving peace and stability in multiracial and multicultural Malaysia.

"It is incumbent upon the government to safeguard the country’s growth and prosperity and well-being of the people.

"Thus appropriate laws need to be in place to tackle issues that could cause racial and religious tension and curb detrimental acts that could breach the harmony enjoyed by all Malaysians," he added.

Anifah said the government is confident that the Sedition Act will protect the interests of each and every Malaysian and is necessary to prevent extremist acts such as racial and religious extremism.

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