'Black day': Lawyers group slams use of Sedition Act against Sanusi

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today slammed the use of the Sedition Act 1948 against Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, reminding the government led by Pakatan Harapan (PH) of its stand against the law during the coalition's time in the opposition. 

Calling it a "black day for the country", LFL director Zaid Malek said it was "appalling" that Sanusi's charges had happened under a government led by PH. 

"PH and its leader Anwar Ibrahim’s condemnation of this law seems reserved only for when they were at the receiving end of it. 

"Now, they have no qualms utilising it when they are the ones in power," he said in a statement. 

Sanusi was charged at the Selayang Sessions Court with making seditious statements on the appointment of his Selangor counterpart Amirudin Shari during a political talk.

He was also charged with uttering seditious words over the establishment of the coalition government.

Questioning the charges against Sanusi, Zaid said the government was "effectively barring legitimate political discourse and transgressing freedom of speech" as provided for in Article 10 (1)(a) of the Federal Constitution. 

"The prime minister, Anwar himself, should know this after suffering similar allegations of disrespecting the royal institution in the past, including for urging the Agong to revoke the emergency declaration in 2021," he said. 

Describing sedition laws as an "archaic legal concept", he said most commonwealth countries had already done away with theirs. 

"Its broadly worded provisions render the rights to free speech illusory. The prime minister and other PH ministers and MPs know this full well, which is why it has always been part of their campaign promise to repeal this law," he added. 

Urging the government to suspend the operation of the Sedition Act pending a repeal at the next Parliament session, he said it was invalid to use the law against Perikatan Nasional and its supporters just as it had been to use it against PH.

"That does not change just because PH is in power. No legitimate government can be allowed to wield the powers conferred by these laws," he said. 

Lawyers Zaid Ibrahim, Ambiga Sreenevesan and N Surendran had earlier panned the move as well, with Zaid saying the government had been busy going after its critics. 

Ambiga meanwhile said that any use of the Sedition Act was "wholly unacceptable".

"So contrary to the Malaysia we fought for. The Sedition Act must be abolished!" the former Bar Council president said.

Surendran likewise said that "the ideals once fought for" had been forgotten. 

"I was charged twice under the Sedition Act during the Barisan Nasional regime over statements I made defending Anwar over his sodomy case. Now under a new government led by Anwar, a political rival faces sedition charges.

"PH once fought this law, now wields it," he said.