DAP's stand same since Karpal's sedition charge - Gobind

Two top DAP leaders today reaffirmed the party’s stand against the Sedition Act, but also cited an ongoing cabinet review and how its current use has been limited to cases linked to alleged remarks against royalties.

Asked whether the DAP has changed its position since it defended the late Karpal Singh against a sedition charge, party national deputy chairperson Gobind Singh Deo insisted otherwise.

“Our position on the Sedition Act has been very clear.

“When Karpal was charged, we defended him. But as (DAP secretary-general) Anthony Loke has said, there is a review of the Sedition Act,” said Gobind (above), who is also Karpal’s son.

"As it stands now, application of the Sedition Act is limited to certain cases as Loke said.

“Moving ahead, our (DAP) position on the Sedition Act remains, but as we have said numerous times, this (review) is still under discussion,” he said at a press conference in Petaling Jaya.

Loke said the review initiated last year is ongoing, and any decision made on necessary amendments will ensure the British-era law is “more applicable” to the current context.

“As far as the current Sedition Act is concerned, I think the prime minister has made it very clear that it is only applicable right now to issues concerning the royalty.

“So, anyone who touches the issue of royalty, of course, the current act applies to them,” he said.

Previously, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim shot down the accusation of his government being hypocritical to defend the use of the Sedition Act against Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Responding to Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin’s accusation, Anwar said the Perikatan Nasional chairperson must face the consequences of his allegedly seditious remarks against the royalty.

Other than Muhyiddin, Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, who is also from PN, was slapped with two charges under the Sedition Act over a remark that touched on the Selangor royalty.

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