'Drop Surendran charge if Sedition Act under repeal'
Published: Aug 21, 2014 1:28 PM | Updated: Aug 21, 2014 3:41 PM
If the prime minister has announced his ntention to repeal the Sedition Act, then the government should not continue to use it, as in the case of PKR vice-president N Surendran.
If the prime minister has announced his ntention to repeal the Sedition Act, then the government should not continue to use it, as in the case of PKR vice-president N Surendran.
"A law that is pending repeal should not be used anymore by the government.
"We call on the prime minister to walk his talk and repeal the Sedition Act immediately," Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng (right) said in a statement today.
He noted that Najib had in July 2012 promised to repeal the Act, and in June 2013 said in his speech broadcast by BBC World "that he is committed to repeal the Sedition Act and to replace it with National Harmony Act".
"This in itself is an admission that the Sedition Act is draconian and obsolete," he said.
Instead of using the draconian law against the Padang Serai MP and lawyer for PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in the Sodomy II appeal, Najib should exercise his right to reply.
"In protecting freedom of opinion and expression and public interest, government officials and politicians, including the prime minister, should stop using draconian laws such as the Sedition Act to disparage public criticism.
"Instead, the prime minister should exercise his right to reply and counter the allegations in public.
"We believe his statement will receive wide coverage in the media. Members of the public will be able to judge for themselves the rights from the wrongs," Yap said in calling for the government to drop the charges against Surendran.
On Monday Surendran was arrested for sedition in connection with his comments on the Sodomy II case.
Earlier that day, Anwar claimed that Umno was trying to foil his Sodomy II appeal by having its members bombard the police with reports against Surendran, who is his lawyer for the case.
"These attacks upon my lawyer N Surendran are a clear and blatant interference by Umno in the pending appeal, as it is a direct attempt to prevent grounds of conspiracy from being raised by my lawyers," Anwar said.
"A law that is pending repeal should not be used anymore by the government."We call on the prime minister to walk his talk and repeal the Sedition Act immediately," Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng (right) said in a statement today.
He noted that Najib had in July 2012 promised to repeal the Act, and in June 2013 said in his speech broadcast by BBC World "that he is committed to repeal the Sedition Act and to replace it with National Harmony Act".
"This in itself is an admission that the Sedition Act is draconian and obsolete," he said.
Instead of using the draconian law against the Padang Serai MP and lawyer for PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in the Sodomy II appeal, Najib should exercise his right to reply.
"In protecting freedom of opinion and expression and public interest, government officials and politicians, including the prime minister, should stop using draconian laws such as the Sedition Act to disparage public criticism."Instead, the prime minister should exercise his right to reply and counter the allegations in public.
"We believe his statement will receive wide coverage in the media. Members of the public will be able to judge for themselves the rights from the wrongs," Yap said in calling for the government to drop the charges against Surendran.
On Monday Surendran was arrested for sedition in connection with his comments on the Sodomy II case.
Earlier that day, Anwar claimed that Umno was trying to foil his Sodomy II appeal by having its members bombard the police with reports against Surendran, who is his lawyer for the case.
"These attacks upon my lawyer N Surendran are a clear and blatant interference by Umno in the pending appeal, as it is a direct attempt to prevent grounds of conspiracy from being raised by my lawyers," Anwar said.
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