Social activist Safwan Anang, fresh from being slapped with a 10-month jail sentence under the Sedition Act, has taken aim at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for his apparent lack of seriousness in abolishing the law.

"How serious is the prime minister in keeping his promise (to abolish the Sedition Act)? Is it only a political gimmick for BN's survival every time an election is near?" he said in a statement today.

Calling for the public to step up the anti-Sedition Act campaign, Safwan warned the tentacles of the colonial law has extended beyond opposition politicians and he was among its victims.

"Academicians, journalists and even social activist such as myself are being persecuted.

"Whatever criticism is taken as having seditious tendencies when all that is meant is for change and improvement to the government...," said Safwan, who is also NGO Lensa Anak Muda Malaysia executive director.

Safwan said in his case, he was merely critcising the Election Commission over the way it handled the last general election.

He was yesterday sentenced to 10 months’ jail after being found guilty by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court of "making a speech to incite the people to topple a legitimate government though illegal means" at a forum last year.

However, his sentence was stayed pending appeal to the higher courts and he was released on a RM15,000 bail.

Safwan lamented that the attorney-general had ignored cases which caused disharmony or racial and religious hatred but had instead gone after the civil society.

"I call on everyone to come together for an awareness campaign against this archaic Act," he said.

Najib yesterday reiterated his 2012 commitment to repeal the Sedition Act amid a slew of charges against opposition politicians and members of civil society under the law in recent weeks.