Bar Council Urges Govt To Repeal Sedition Act

(Bernama) — The Bar Council Tuesday urged the government to seriously review the Sedition Act 1948 with the aim of repealing the legislation totally.

Responding to the sedition charge on DAP chairman Karpal Singh at the Sessions Court today, the council's newly-appointed president Ragunath Kesavan said the act had severely encroached the public enjoyment and exercise of fundamental civil liberties.

"The Bar Council is shocked and troubled that the Attorney-General has proceeded to charge Karpal Singh under the Sedition Act for his statements on the issue of the removal of Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin," he said in a statement issued here.

"It is abundantly clear that Karpal Singh had only voiced his opinion, (but)at no time did he voice disrespect for or challenge the institution of the monarchy in any way. This is surely permissible under the Constitution and cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, amount to sedition," he said.

Any attempt to stifle public opinion by resorting to the act is an act of regression that is antithetical to democratic principles, said Ragunath, who called for the charge to be withdrawn immediately.

"We are concerned with the series of recent prosecutions against those exercising the freedom of speech and call for an immediate end to such harassment.

"We urge the government to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law and to democratic processes by encouraging open discourse on issues of concern to the Malaysian public," he said.

Lawyer Karpal Singh today pleaded not guilty to sedition in the Sessions Court here.

He is alleged to have uttered seditious words during a media conference relating to the Sultan of Perak at his office at Messrs Karpal Singh & Co in Jalan Pudu Lama here between noon and 12.30pm on Feb 6.