The new amendments made to the Sedition Act 1948 does not differentiate between agitation and provocation of violence which could implicate a lot of innocent people, a group of NGOs said.

“The fundamental flaw of the Sedition Act is that it disregards intention and hence does not differentiate between agitation of violence and provocation of violence.

“As the accusation of provocation can be easily made, violence may be effectively encouraged by parties who want to blame others for provocation,” said the NGO coalition Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) in a statement today.

The group comprises of 15 diverse NGOs which among others include The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF), and The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).

The NGO union also said even the innocent who wants to highlight a misdoing towards them on social media, might be implicated under the “widely cast net” of the new amendments.

“A teenager may be jailed for three years for sharing a Facebook posting and or retweeting a tweet if another party who causes bodily injury or property damage and accuses her of provoking.

Fostering impunity of violence

“Instead of promoting social harmony, the Sedition Act risks fostering impunity of violence and encouraging ‘politics of amok’,” the group added.

Chiding the new bill  as a severe dent to democracy, GBM also called upon the government to withdraw the new bill from being tabled at the Dewan Negara and if at all it is tabled, the members should oppose it.

“GBM sees the hasty passing of the amendments to Sedition Act at the wee hours of 2.30am of 10 April as an irresponsible act of arrogance and tyranny by the Executive.

“If the government is adamant in tabling it, all patriotic Malaysians in Dewan Negara must be present and vote against it,” the NGO coalition said.

The bill for amendments for the Sedition Act was passed by the Parliament early this month with 108 of BN MPs voting for it and almost all of the opposition present against it.

The revamped draconian law would seek to include harsher penalties which sees minimal jail time being increased and a broader scope on what is seditious.