I welcome the courageous stand taken by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dato Sri Idris Jala who is the first Cabinet Minister to openly speak out against the sedition charge against Universiti Malaya law lecturer Dr. Azmi Sharom.
Idris said the charge against Azmi was wrong and that the law professor should not be charged for sedition.
In a series of Twitter postings yesterday, Idris said: “Academic freedom is required in pursuit of knowledge.”
Stressing that Malaysia must continue to pursue moderation, Idris twittered: “Constructive criticism and dissent should be allowed, as long as it does not create serious fault in the social fabric of our society.”
Although admirable and commendable for daring to speak out against Azmi’s sedition charge, it is a great pity that Idris did not have the full courage of conviction that constructive criticism and dissent are lifeblood of any meaningful transformation of Malaysia to take an equally forthright and courageous stand against the sedition blitz intensified in the past month to stifle criticism and dissent which saw the malicious prosecution and persecution of some 20 Pakatan Rakat Members of Parliament, State Assemblymen, a journalist, a lawyer, an academician and several social activists under the undemocratic and repressive colonial law of sedition.
Nonetheless, Idris stands out as the lone and courageous Minister so far to speak out against the “white terror” intensified in the past month using the colonial law of sedition to create a new climate of fear in the country after the Mahathir “Dark Age”.
What about the other Ministers? Are they all craven and cowardly who dare not speak out against the sedition dragnet against virtually all and sundry who are not on the side of the powers-that-be, to strike fear among the citizenry that they will have to pay a heavy price if they stand up for justice, fair play, multi-racialism, human rights, democracy, rule of law and good governance?
It is these values and issues of justice, fair play, multi-racialism, human rights, democracy, rule of law and good governance which will decide whether Malaysia regresses into a backward, authoritarian and police state or moves forward to a more free, democratic and prosperous future.
All Cabinet Ministers should therefore take a stand at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to order a halt to the “white terror” intensified in the past month using the sedition law to create a new climate of fear after the Mahathir “Dark Age” as it is totally against the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s promise to make Malaysia “the best democracy in the world”.
In the national interests, is Idris prepared to take the lead for the charge in Cabinet on Wednesday to end the reign of “white terror” intensified in the past month through the undemocratic, repressive and indiscriminate use of the colonial sedition law?
(Speech at the Johor Jaya DAP Pesta Tanglung in Johor Bahru on Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 9 pm)