Former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan has called on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to set an example with regard to his decision to backtrack on his plan to dismantle the Sedition Act.

"Will the PM now give an assurance that there will be no selective prosecution and even Umno members who so vigorously support this Act will face the full force of this Act for statements they have made at the assembly which are potentially seditious.

"Not that I support having this Act but if there is such rapture over it, let them lead by example within their own party," she said in reference to the standing ovation Najib received from Umno delegates after announcing his decision this morning.

On one hand, Ambiga said, everyone in Umno want this law but sill proceed to make seditious statements during the party assembly.

"Such arrogance is due to the fact that they must feel they are immune from prosecution," she told Malaysiakini .

Commenting on Najib’s announcement, Ambiga said that once again, the prime minister has gone back on his word.

"To add salt to the wound, he seeks to enhance it, all to rapturous applause. Talk about playing to the Umno gallery. What Umno, Umno gets.

"There is no study done on the Act, no consideration of other laws, no real basis. Just that they want more power, they get more power. For what? To go after more Azmi Sharom's?

"They have not even bothered to wait for the court’s decision on the validity of the law. Why exactly is that? Do they not care what the court has to say," she added.

Azmi, who is a Universiti Malaya lecturer, was charged under the Sedition Act for his comments regarding the Perak constitutional crisis.

He has since filed an application to challenge the constitutionality of the Sedition Act.

Describing this as a bad week for Malaysians, Ambiga said the public have been hit by two oppressive laws in a week.

The rights group Negara-Ku patron was referring to the government’s bid to implement tougher laws to deal with the threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Ambiga also recalled a statement by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in 2012, where he said the government just does not provide lip service.

Speaking to reporters in Sarawak then, he had said: "We don’t just talk or make announcements (on transformation), we act. Some of the laws we introduced we have enforced, this (repealing of the Sedition Act) is the latest step to show the government is in tune with the people."

The deputy prime minister has since changed tune, calling for the Act to be maintained, which he also reiterated during his speech at the Umno meet.

Based on Muhyiddin’s previous remarks, Ambiga said: "This proves, the government is just all about empty talk."

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