Former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan said the Penal Code is sufficient to deal with issues that the Sedition Act and amendments to the legislation seek to tackle.

She pointed out that, for example, religious hate speech already exists in the Penal Code.

Responding to a question on the amendment concerning the electronic media, she said, "Have you heard of the expression 'using a nuclear bomb to kill a mosquito? This is it."

Ambiga, who was speaking as the Abolish Sedition Act Movement (GHAH) spokesperson, also disagreed with the argument that the increase in hate speech made it vital to strengthen the Sedition Act.

She said the reason for this is because the government is silent on extremists, while wielding the Sedition Act against opposition politicians, dissidents, academicians, activists and others.

“It is their lack of action that is causing the problem. They have allowed those who incite racial issues to continue,” she added.

She also questioned the manner the bill was tabled in parliament without any consultation with parliamentarians and civil society groups.

Backdoor to ban social media

Meanwhile, another GHAH spokesperson Latheefa Koya said the proposed amendment on electronic media is a “backdoor” to ban social media.

"I think it is also a backdoor […] to ban people from accessing social media.

"It is basically trying to stop people from accessing the internet, to social media, Twitter, Facebook… That's what the plan is. It is quite serious," she said.

Under Clause 9 of the Sedition Act amendment bill, a sessions court judge may authorise a website to be blocked, if a seditious comment is posted there but its author cannot be traced.