LETTER | Malaysia’s National Human Rights Society, Hakam, supports the call by Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo for the cabinet to impose a moratorium on any charge brought under the Sedition Act.

The Pakatan Harapan government pledged in its manifesto to repeal a whole number of oppressive laws (Promise 27), for the reason that these “tyrannical” laws were used by the past government to advance its political interest.

It pledged unconditionally to repeal the Sedition Act as well as a litany of other laws, namely: Prevention of Crime Act 1959; Universities and University Colleges Act 1971; Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984; and the National Security Council Act 2016.

Harapan also pledged to revoke the mandatory death sentence in all laws.

And it further undertook to abolish draconian provisions in the following laws: Penal Code 1997, especially on peaceful assembly and activities harmful to democracy; Communications and Multimedia Act 1998; Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma); Peaceful Assembly Act 2012; and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) 2015.

We note that these pledges have remained unfulfilled.

We recognise that only Parliament can repeal or amend these Acts. And that this may require the completion of prior administrative procedures before these pledges can be accomplished.

In the interim, it is crucial that the government acts consistently on its pledges. In this context we applaud the attorney-general for withdrawing the charges brought against several people under the Sedition Act as well as under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

To be consistent with its promise, the government must immediately impose, in the interim:

A moratorium on all charges brought under these laws;
Suspend all mandatory death sentences; and
Immediately initiate a speedy process to revoke or amend all the Acts that it has rightly described as “tyrannical”.

GURDIAL SINGH NIJAR is president of the Hakam, the National Human Rights Society.

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