Bersih slams 'harsh' sentence for Adam Adli
Published: Sep 19, 2014 2:50 PM | Updated: Sep 19, 2014 3:40 PM
Expressing shock over the conviction of former student leader Adam Adli Abdul Halim for sedition, polls watchdog Bersih today said the one year's jail sentence is too "harsh".
There is no evidence showing what Adam said caused violence, it says.
Expressing shock over the conviction of former student leader Adam Adli Abdul Halim for sedition, polls watchdog Bersih said today the one year's jail sentence is too "harsh".
Stressing that the Sedition Act is a draconian law, Bersih said the rakyat will not let an "archaic" law stop them from voicing dissent.
"The rakyat will not stop voicing dissent ,especially against a government that is losing its authority to govern in so many ways," it added.
The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today found Adam Adli (left) guilty of sedition by urging for the toppling of the Umno/BN government and slapped him with a 12- month jail sentence.
Bersih said there was a lack of evidence to show in concrete terms how his statement had caused disruption or even violence.
It pointed out that the continued use of the Act by the government also showed the latter’s "confidence" in its own rule.
It added that the fact that the prime minister had announced that the Act will be repealed, and the attorney-general’s decision to review all pending cases under the Act casts doubt over the Act’s legitimacy.
"The decent thing to do is to halt all charges and proceedings under the Act until a fuller discussion has taken place in Parliament on whether it needs to be replaced or not."
'Systematic killing of dissenters?'
Meanwhile, PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has yet to fulfill his 2012 promise to abolish the Act.
"BN with its 'endless possibilities' catchphrase has failed to implement political transformation
"I urge Najib to fulfill his political transformation promises. Don’t let Malaysia continue to drift away without a leader," she said, adding that PKR will support him in this venture.
The Lembah Pantai MP also criticised quarters who have called for the death penalty for repeat offenders under the Sedition Act.
"Are they so desperate that they are consenting to systematic killings of dissenters? These irresponsible statements go against Malaysia’s democratic principles," she said.
Najib last week said the government is still reviewing whether to amend or replace the Act, despite promising its repeal in 2012.
Stressing that the Sedition Act is a draconian law, Bersih said the rakyat will not let an "archaic" law stop them from voicing dissent.
"The rakyat will not stop voicing dissent ,especially against a government that is losing its authority to govern in so many ways," it added.The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today found Adam Adli (left) guilty of sedition by urging for the toppling of the Umno/BN government and slapped him with a 12- month jail sentence.
Bersih said there was a lack of evidence to show in concrete terms how his statement had caused disruption or even violence.
It pointed out that the continued use of the Act by the government also showed the latter’s "confidence" in its own rule.
It added that the fact that the prime minister had announced that the Act will be repealed, and the attorney-general’s decision to review all pending cases under the Act casts doubt over the Act’s legitimacy.
"The decent thing to do is to halt all charges and proceedings under the Act until a fuller discussion has taken place in Parliament on whether it needs to be replaced or not."
'Systematic killing of dissenters?'
Meanwhile, PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has yet to fulfill his 2012 promise to abolish the Act.
"BN with its 'endless possibilities' catchphrase has failed to implement political transformation
"I urge Najib to fulfill his political transformation promises. Don’t let Malaysia continue to drift away without a leader," she said, adding that PKR will support him in this venture.The Lembah Pantai MP also criticised quarters who have called for the death penalty for repeat offenders under the Sedition Act.
"Are they so desperate that they are consenting to systematic killings of dissenters? These irresponsible statements go against Malaysia’s democratic principles," she said.
Najib last week said the government is still reviewing whether to amend or replace the Act, despite promising its repeal in 2012.
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