Lawyers in KL march against Sedition Act

KUALA LUMPUR — A group of Malaysian lawyers yesterday protested against the country’s Sedition Act — a law seen as stifling freedom of speech in the country — in a historic march to Parliament, as they urged Prime Minister Najib Razak to keep a pledge to repeal it.

More than 500 lawyers clad in suits and ties, led by Mr Christopher Leong, president of the Malaysian Bar, gathered in Kuala Lumpur yesterday and marched towards Parliament.

Ten lawyers acting as representatives for the group then delivered a note to Mr Mah Siew Keong, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, who received the document on behalf of Mr Najib.

Saying that the parties had a “fruitful discussion”, Mr Leong added that Mr Mah had given his assurance that he would convey the views of the Malaysian Bar, which represents 16,000 lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia, to the Prime Minister.

“We ask the Prime Minister and government to take into account our views and that he remains steadfast in his pledge and promise made in July 2012 to repeal the Sedition Act,” said Mr Leong outside Parliament.

The lawyers also called for a moratorium on the use of the law, which dates back to 1948 when Malaysia was under British rule.

Before the march started, Mr Leong told reporters that about 13 foreign Bar associations had written to Mr Najib in support of the Malaysian Bar’s campaign.

The Prime Minister described the Sedition Act in July 2012 as the representative of a “bygone era” and said he would replace it with legislation aimed at preventing incitement of religious or ethnic hatred.

However, last month, his office said there would not be a rush to change it, as human rights group Amnesty International and Malaysian civil groups called on him to honour his earlier vow, with more people being charged under the law in recent months.

As a replacement to the Sedition Act, Mr Najib has proposed the National Harmony Act, which he has said would protect freedom of expression. The government has not started drafting the law, however, said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office last month.

Before the new law comes into place, existing cases under the current Act must be tried under current rules, the government said in August.

Amnesty International Malaysia said last month that the increasing use of the act was fostering a “climate of repression”.

From January to September, 12 cases — some involving lawmakers, academics and student — were prosecuted under the Sedition Act — the highest figure since 2009.

Eight cases were brought to trial under the Sedition Act last year, while only one case each made it to court in both 2009 and 2011. There were no sedition charges in 2010 and 2012.

Mr Lim Kit Siang, adviser to the opposition Democratic Action Party, yesterday called on the Cabinet to discuss today the lawyers’ call to abolish the Act.

Mr Lim said the Cabinet should also acknowledge that there had been international outrage over the selective and discriminatory manner in which the Act had been used recently to stifle criticism and dissent.

“If Malaysia is serious in wanting to join the ranks of developed countries in the year 2020, we cannot be indifferent to these developments,” he added. Agencies