Press Statement by Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement on 7 February 2024
Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement (TBHADA) is dismayed by the unwarranted police investigations of former Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua under the much maligned Sedition Act 1948.
We urged the Unity Government to immediately cease any police investigations against Tony Pua who has only expressed an opinion in his social media pertaining to the reduced sentence of the former Prime Minister Najib Razak which is deemed to be of great public importance.
The matter at stake here is not merely Mr Pua’s right to freedom of speech which the unity government has increasingly attempted to stifle, but also PH turning its back on reforms and even relied on the Sedition Act 1948 that they once promised to abolish.
We are also of the opinion that Mr Pua is not the only one who has reacted negatively towards the decision made by the Pardon Board which was construed as insulting the monarch. However, it is arguable that some of the public responses from certain leaders of the ruling party, UMNO, could also be deemed to be questioning the decision of the Pardon Board.
The government must take note that the controversial decision to commute a former Prime Minister’s corruption sentence would raise the political temperature and this is why the government must be acting neutral in ensuring no one is being selectively investigated nor charged.
Most of all, the government should tolerate disagreement and dissent on this matter when both the Attorney General and Federal Territory Minister is collectively responsible for the Pardon Board’s decision. People ought to be able to express their opinion freely especially when the government has no intention to come forward with a proper explanation as to why the former Prime Minister was able to enjoy a reduced sentence under such extraordinary circumstances.
The use of the Sedition Act is alarming and it is certainly disappointing when the government led by PH appears to have no qualms in using it to stifle dissent. Speeches or actions qualifying as seditious are left too broad and ambiguous that, in this case, the provision of ‘inciting dissatisfaction against the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong’ could be abused easily and used against anyone who commented on the Pardon’s Board decision in good faith.
PH’s opposition towards the abusive nature of the Sedition Act 1948 has been well documented and as they have rightly argued when they were in opposition that the use of the Sedition Act is a restriction of Malaysia’s freedom of expression. It is with this spirit that we once again urged the government to desist any investigation attempt on Mr Pua and honor their promise to repeal the Sedition Act 1948 as soon as possible.
Regards,
Ng Yap Hwa
Chairperson
Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement
赵明福民主促进会文告，2024年2月7日于吉隆坡发出
团结政府勿选择性对付不满宽赦局决定者
针对警方援引《1948年煽动法令》调查前八打灵再也区国会议员潘俭伟，赵明福民主促进会促团结政府勿以莫须有的罪行打压潘俭伟正当行使言论自由的权利。
宽赦局为前首相纳吉减刑及减罚款的决定，引来全国人民议论纷纷，乃是因为该决定非常具争议性。质疑该决定的又岂止潘俭伟一人? 政府不能选择性执法，单单锁定潘俭伟的讽刺言论来对付。
倘若质疑宽赦局的决定就是煽动对最高元首的不满，巫统领袖的回应如“我们被骗了”、“非常失望”、“纳吉获得不公正的审判”也一样质疑宽赦局的决定。我们呼吁团结政府不能实施双重标准，只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯。
殖民地年代留下的《1948年煽动法令》有太多模糊的条文，其中“煽动对最高元首的不满”的条文常被引用来对付异议份子，让我国的民主空间不断萎缩，连贪污腐败事件都不得评论。
赵明福民主促进会呼吁政府尽快废除煽动法令，加速国家民主改革的议程。
赵明福民主促进会主席
黄业华