The move by the authorities to charge Malaysia Today blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin with criminal defamation has been lambasted by several rights-based organisations which say the move is against freedom of expression.

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) and the Writers Alliance for Media Independence (Wami) expressed their concern over the criminal defamation charge move.

In a statement today, the three NGOs said charging people with criminal defamation and sedition was not consistent with the guarantee of freedom of expression as entrenched in the federal constitution.

"Free expression is a cornerstone of any democracy and space must be maintained for it.

"Though the legislating of laws aimed at preserving public order and security is permitted by the constitution, the use of criminal defamation and sedition legislation are not necessary to achieve these aims," the statement said .

"There are other laws in place, such as those aimed at deterring incitement and hate speech, that sufficiently serve this purpose."

raja petra kamaruddin arrest at police ipk 170708 03 Raja Petra ( centre ) was charged at the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court today for criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to two years, fined or both.

He is currently out on a RM2,000 bail and is due back in court on August 18.

He is alleged to have knowingly defamed Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s wife Rosmah Mansor and two others in a statutory declaration made on June 18.

The statutory declaration implicated Rosmah in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu who was blown up with explosives two years ago in a remote forest clearing.

Rosmah and Najib have both denied the allegations.

Sufficient laws in place

The NGOs stressed that there were laws in place that allowed people whose reputations were injured to seek compensation through civil proceedings. As such, state action need not be invoked.

"We call on the government and the authorities to desist from relying on laws that criminalise expression and to take steps towards repealing them in fulfillment of its commitment to international human rights norms.

"We also call on the authorities to drop the charges of sedition and criminal defamation against Raja Petra," they said.

Raja Petra is also facing a sedition charge after publishing a controversial article entitled ‘Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell’ in his Malaysia Today blogsite.

Trial for this offence is set to begin on Oct 6.