Criticising a government department such as the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim) should not be construed as criticising religion because the two are not the same.

Therefore the attorney-general (AG) should consider withdrawing the sedition charge against lawyer Eric Paulsen, said NGO Proham.

“Eric Paulsen's criticism of Jakim, a public body, cannot be equated to criticising a religion.

“Paulsen is not anti-Islam as his work with the marginalised Rohingya Muslims is well documented,” said Proham chairperson Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari ( left ) in a statement yesterday.

“So instead of charging Paulsen, Jakim should prove their critics wrong and this can easily be done,” he added.

Last week Paulsen, who is Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) executive director claimed trial after being charged under the Sedition Act for posting a tweet criticising Jakim for promoting "extremism every Friday".

The authorities have deemed the tweet insulting to Muslims.

Jakim however turned down a challenge to debate the criticism with Paulsen.

"Jakim should be defending their sermons. The Information Minister (Ahmad Shabery Cheek) had even offered to have a debate between them and me. They should have taken up the offer," Paulsen said last week after hearing his charge in court.

The lawyer said he is prepared to bring up examples of Jakim’s sermons to defend his tweet, including sermons made against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the Shia Muslims.

Kuthubul said the use of the Sedition Act against a critic of a government agency was disturbing.

“Proham is also disturbed with the recent increase in numbers of those charged under the Sedition Act and steady decline in human rights compliance.

“Proham calls on the prime minister to reconsider his decision not to repeal the Act especially in a time when democratic and human right values must be in the forefront of our domestic and international policy and practice,” he said.

Paulsen is one of the latest in what has been called a crackdown against dissent and criticism using the Sedition Act and other laws, that began last year leading up to the grand finale of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s announcement of his U-turn on abolishing the colonial era act at the Umno general assembly, to a standing ovation.