Sedition Act still needed to maintain stability, says former Dewan Rakyat speaker

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sedition Act 1948 should not be repealed in order to maintain national stability, says Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof (pic).

According to the former Dewan Rakyat speaker, this was because recent national developments showed attempts to challenge the position of the Malay Rulers, and to sow discord between different races.

“Now is not the time (to repeal the Sedition Act). We still need to have the law on sedition due to attempts to cause disaffection against the lawfully established government, challenges towards the position of the Malay Rulers and attempts to cause disharmony among races.

“If you want stability, you cannot give full freedom. You cannot simply repeal a law that might be a saviour in certain incidents,” said Mohamad Ariff during the Parliament Lecture Series held in Dewan Rakyat on Friday (Aug 18) night.

Commenting further, Mohamad Ariff also said the controversial Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) should not be repealed.

“We should maintain it (Sosma) for the time being, but safeguards must be put in place to ensure basic human rights and dignity of those arrested and charged are to be respected,” added Mohamad Ariff.

Mohamad Ariff also said Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 should be amended, given the rise in fake news on social media.

Mohamad Ariff also said that at present, there are no laws to penalise fake news after the former Pakatan Harapan government repealed the anti-fake news act in Dec 2019.

“It is time to have some anti-fake news legislation, because the conditions now and then have changed dramatically,” said Mohamad Ariff.

“In the political spheres, it has tremendous downsides, particularly in a nation like Malaysia where views can be grounded on race, religion and regionalism. We cannot allow a free-for-all and so, these laws are needed,” added Mohamad Ariff.

Also speaking during the event was Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul Johari and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.