A coalition of NGOs, including Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), Aliran, Undi18, Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy, Bersih, Article 19, and Lawyers for Liberty, has urged Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to repeal the Sedition Act 1948. The group, often known as Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH), believes the Act is incompatible with worldwide standards of freedom of expression due to its ambiguity, which permits authorities to arbitrarily enforce it and criminalise speech.
The group said in an open letter, “Whilst amendments have been made to the Act in 2015, it is still to this present day being used by state actors to criminalise dissent, particularly among activists, members of the media and opposition lawmakers.” They further defined that as long as an individual’s conduct, phrase, or publication is perceived to have a “seditious tendency,” the government can investigate, arrest, detain, or cost the person.
GHAH additionally highlighted the parliamentary reply given by National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang, who mentioned the Act would proceed to be enforced alongside other existing laws to “handle any motion that pertains to racial or religious sensitivities”. The group criticised the penalties under the Sedition Act 1948 as disproportionately heavy, with first-time offences incurring a hefty fine of US$1,200 or imprisonment of as a lot as three years.
Ensured identified that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, led by Anwar, had constantly promised to repeal or revoke the Act in its manifesto for the past two basic elections. The group urged the Prime Minister, “As the flagbearer of institutional reform, we ask that you simply break free from past cycles of repression and take concrete steps to repeal this archaic piece of laws.”