Cops opened 142 investigations under Sedition Act last year - Saifuddin

Police opened 142 investigation papers under the Sedition Act 1948 last year, with a dozen of the cases going to court, said Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

According to the chart in Saifuddin's parliamentary response yesterday, this is the highest number of investigations since 2010.

From 2010 to 2025, Saifuddin said 1,222 investigation papers were opened related to sedition, while 130 people were charged in court during the same period.

Outside of 2025, the highest number of investigations occurred in 2023 (125), 2014 (121), 2020 (117), and 2015 (109).

Prosecutions peaked in 2020 with 29 cases, followed by 2021 (14), 2025 (12), 2014 (12), 2023 (12), and 2022 (10).

"The ministry, through the police, will continue to implement law enforcement professionally and firmly without compromise against any party that deliberately raises issues that could disrupt public order and national security," he said.

The minister was responding to DAP's Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi, who had requested a breakdown of the number of investigations and prosecutions under the Sedition Act.

Committed to reviewing Act

Previously, Saifuddin asserted that the Act is only used for cases involving insults to the royal institution and instances that threaten national sovereignty.

He added that Putrajaya remains committed to reviewing the Sedition Act.

This then prompted Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh to question why the law was used to investigate former journalist Rex Tan, who was arrested past midnight on Jan 17, following the latter's question at a public forum on Palestine.

“In March 2024, Saifuddin announced that the cabinet had agreed to begin the process of amending the said Act. If the Act is indeed under review or is on the brink of being amended as Saifuddin claims, why is it still being used by the authorities today?” he questioned.

Tan, 31, was arrested under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and Section 505(c) of the Penal Code, which is related to making statements with the intent to cause alarm or fear.

He is also being investigated under the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998.

‘Use Act on religious extremists’

Yesterday, the National Unity Ministry pledged its full support for police action against religious extremists, including prosecution under laws widely viewed as draconian.

“The National Unity Ministry fully supports police action in close cooperation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers to identify, investigate, and prosecute parties involved under existing laws, including the Sedition Act, Penal Code, and CMA," its minister Aaron Ago Dagang said in Dewan Rakyat during his winding-up speech on the royal address debate.

The controversial Sedition Act is a colonial-era law that criminalises speech with “seditious tendency”.

Among the definitions of seditious tendency are a tendency to bring hatred or contempt against any ruler, government, or the administration of justice; to promote feelings of ill will and hostility between different races or classes; and to question any privileges reserved for the Malays, natives and royalty.

The British introduced the law in 1948 and it was later amended after the May 13, 1969 riots to expand the scope of limitations on freedom of speech.

Promise to abolish

When Pakatan Harapan and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim were in the opposition bloc, they promised to abolish the Sedition Act when they got into power.

As for the CMA, the Court of Appeal in August last year struck down a provision in the Act criminalising content that “annoys” or is “offensive”.

The judgment came after the court allowed an appeal by activist Heidy Quah, who challenged the validity of those words in Section 233 of the Act, which have been widely criticised as overly broad in legal interpretation, thus providing the authorities with wide powers to censor and silence dissent.

In response, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said that Putrajaya would appeal the ruling - a decision that Anwar defended.

The Federal Court will deliver its decision on the government's appeal tomorrow.

PAS MP alleges 'double standards' in opposing Sedition Act use

Saifuddin says Sedition Act used judiciously, critics cite Rex Tan probe

COMMENT | Sedition overkill on ex-FMT journo?

Ramkarpal laments lack of political will to abolish Sedition Act