Sedition Act repeal not possible without Rulers’ consent, forum told

(MMO) – The decision to abolish the Sedition Act cannot be done without the consent of the Conference of Malay Rulers, a forum was told today.

Organised by Perkasa, the forum’s panellists also warned that abolishing the Act would open the floodgates, where sensitive issues would increasingly be questioned, which ultimately, would be detrimental to the country’s social fabric.

“Even amendments, let alone outright repeal, cannot be made to the Sedition Act without the Rulers’ consent as it touches upon Article 10(4) and Article 159(5) of the Federal Constitution,” said panellist Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abd Rahman.

The veteran lawyer and former CEO of Malaysia Airlines said the consent is needed before the repeal is brought before Parliament.

Article 10 guarantees the right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association, whereas Article 159 deals with amendments to the Constitution via federal law.

Article 159(5) states that any amendments made under the provisions of other articles, including 152 and 153, cannot be done without the Conference’s consent.

These touch upon the subjects of Bumiputera rights and privileges, as well as the status of Bahasa Malaysia and other languages in the country.

Fellow panellist and social activist Khairul Azam Abd Aziz said abolishing the Act is the first step by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to change the country.

“This means increased liberalisation, the eventual removal of the Rulers, and possibly even the Malay privileges.

“Without the Act, chaos will prevail in the country. Those of us who love peace and harmony must understand this is why it should be defended,” he said.

Khairul added that it would not be a one-way street, as removing the Act will cause other kinds of “questions” to be raised.

“If this is the case, we can even question if the citizenship of the Chinese and Indians given upon Independence (in 1957) was ever valid.

“This is because those wishing to become citizens must pledge their loyalty to the monarch and country. But did they take this oath? Instead, at the stroke of a pen, 1.7 million people became citizens (at the time),” he said.

Just as there are those who would challenge Islam, the Malay language and the country, Khairul said it is all too possible for others to challenge non-Malay citizenship and the status of vernacular schools, among other issues.