Sedition Act for Anwar?
By Rahmah Ghazali, Free Malaysia Today
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim could be investigated under the Sedition Act for his Sept 16, 2008, takeover claim, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz today.
The minister was responding to the police reports lodged against Anwar after former PKR MP Zahrain Mohamed Hashim revealed in Parliament that the opposition leader had allegedly said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and armed forces’ chief endorsed the plan to overthrow the Barisan Nasional government.
Nazri said although there is nothing wrong with the takeover claim, a “crime was however committed” when the king and armed forces were mentioned.
“I strongly feel that these words are seditious. So I would suspect that action could be taken against him under the Sedition Act, because when you mention the king and the armed forces, it means you are instigating people to topple the existing government.
“If you look at the Act, it actually covers what Anwar has done… but this depends on the court to decide,” he told reporters in Parliament.
Asked if an apology from Anwar would be sufficient, Nazri replied: “I will put it this way, if you commit murder and then you apologise, what is the rule under the law? It would not mean anything.”
“The offence has been committed. If you apologise, it would not make any difference. When you commit murder, and then you apologise, you still have to go through the due process,” he added.
