2014 Malaysian sedition dragnet

The 2014 Malaysian sedition dragnet was a campaign by the government of Malaysia where several citizens were arrested and charged for allegedly making seditious statements in contravention of Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948. The term "sedition dragnet" is widely used by the Malaysian media to describe the campaign.[1][2][3]

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Background

The Sedition Act is considered by opposition politicians and activists to be an outdated draconian law introduced by the British colonial government which aims to stifle freedom of expression.[4][5] Government officials however consider the Sedition Act as necessary to maintain peace in the country.[6]

Another controversial piece of legislation, the Internal Security Act (ISA), was repealed in 2012 by the Najib Razak administration and replaced with the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 following mounting criticism of the ISA, another colonial era law which had allowed for preventive detention and extrajudicial detention.[7]

Activists and politicians have complained that the dragnet was carried out despite prime minister Najib's earlier promises to repeal the Sedition Act.[5][8]

Arrests

Among the people arrested were opposition politicians Khalid Abdul Samad, N. Surendran and Teresa Kok while among non-politicians who were arrested were Universiti Malaya law professor, Azmi Sharom and Malaysiakini journalist Susan Loone as well as other political activists.[9] Muhammad Safwan Anang who was convicted under the Sedition Act on 5 September 2014[10] was charged earlier in 2013 together with PKR's Tian Chua, PAS' Tamrin Ghafar Baba, student activist Adam Adli and social activists Harris Ibrahim and Hishamuddin Rais in relation to their role in allegedly inciting the people to change government through illegal means and is arguably not part of this sedition dragnet.[11] All persons listed below were arrested or charged under the Sedition Act unless specified otherwise.

People arrested and/or charged in the sedition dragnet
Name Background Date of charge Current status Alleged seditious act
Ng Wei AikDAP Member of Parliament for Tanjong constituency10 February 2014Acquitted and discharged by Sessions Court[12]Published an article in a Chinese daily, questioned Najib's intention for jailing the former Opposition Leader, Anwar Ibrahim.
Teresa KokDAP Member of Parliament for Seputeh constituency6 May 2014-Making a Chinese New Year greeting video posted on YouTube which allegedly included jokes on Malaysia being a dangerous country and on the recent Lahad Datu intrusion.[13]
Abdullah Zaik Abd RahmanISMA president20 June 2014-Saying that Chinese migrants brought by the British to Malaya were trespassers.[14]
N. SurendranPKR Member of Parliament for Padang Serai and one of Anwar Ibrahim's lawyer19 August 2014-Criticising the judgement in the second of Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trials and saying that the proceedings was an attempt to put the Malaysian opposition leader behind bars.[15]
Mohammad Nizar JamaluddinPAS Perak state assemblyman for Changkat Jering and former Mentri Besar of Perak25 August 2014Charged for criminal defamation (Section 500 Penal Code)For a speech made in 2012 saying "I was informed that Najib will call all the army generals to do something if BN lost in the general election."[16]
Khalid Abdul SamadPAS Member of Parliament for Shah Alam constituency26 August 2014-Questioning the executive powers of the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS)
RSN RayerDAP Penang state assemblyman for Seri Delima27 August 2014Acquitted and discharged by Sessions Court[17]Saying "celaka UMNO" (damn UMNO)[18]
Rafizi RamliPKR Vice President and MP for Pandan28 August 2014Charged for provocation of breach of peace (Section 504 Penal Code)Accusing UMNO of conspiring to instigate religious strife[19]
Azmi SharomUniversiti Malaya law professor and columnist for The Star newspaper2 September 2014Charge withdrew by Attorney General via discretionary powersFor commenting in a newspaper column about the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis
David OrokState Reform Party (STAR)'s politician3 September 2014-Accused for insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad on Facebook.
Susan LooneMalaysiakini journalist4 September 2014Arrested 4 September 2014Publishing an interview with Penang state EXCO Phee Boon Poh in connection with the latter's arrest regarding PPS issue
Safwan AwangStudent activist5 September 2014-Charged and arrested for making seditious remarks in an anti-government rally.
Ali Abd JalilSocial activist affiliated with Anything But Umno (ABU) movement8 September 2014-Belittling and calling for the abolishment of the Johor state monarchy[20]
Wan Ji Wan HussinIslamic preacher affiliated with PAS10 September 2014Arrested September 10 2014Possibly for questioning the role of the rulers as the heads of religion[21][22]
Wong Hoi ChengUnaffiliated project manager15 September 2014Charged under Section 504 Penal CodeDescribing the Malaysian chief police as the "Heinrich Himmler of Malaysia" on Twitter[23]

Former Perak chief minister Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was charged for criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Penal Code in August 2014 for a statement made in a speech in 2012 about prime minister Najib Razak.[24] Meanwhile, PKR Vice President Rafizi Ramli was charged for provocation of breach of peace under Section 504 of the Penal Code.

References
  1. "UM law lecturer Azmi Sharom denies sedition charge". The Star. Malaysia. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  2. "Bersih claims sedition dragnet a red herring from the GST, redelineation". The Malay Mail Online. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  3. "With sedition dragnet, Malaysia takes step back to Mahathir era". The Malaysian Insider. 7 September 2014. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  4. "International group condemns use of Sedition Act to suppress freedom of expression". The Malaysian Insider. 4 September 2014. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  5. "Is the PM getting cold feet on the Sedition Act, ask lawyers". The Malaysian Insider. 5 September 2014. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  6. "Ismail Sabri: Keep Sedition Act to maintain peace". The Malay Mail Online. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  7. "Malaysia Scraps Law Seen as Weapon Against Critics". The Wall Street Journal. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  8. "Shahidan 'totally wrong', PM did promise to repeal sedition law, Umno man says (VIDEO)". The Malay Mail Online. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  9. "Unafraid of jail, a young father fights the Sedition Act". The Malaysian Insider. 7 September 2014. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  10. "Former student activist jailed 10 months for sedition". The Malaysian Insider. 5 September 2014. Archived from the original on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  11. "Tian Chua, Adam Adli and opposition activists' case management set for Aug 20". The Borneo Post Online. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  12. "Ng acquitted and discharged over sedition charge (Updated)".
  13. "Teresa Kok charged with sedition over Onederful Malaysia video, claims trial". Astro Awani. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  14. "Isma chief denies sedition charge". The Star. Malaysia. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  15. "Surendran pleads not guilty to second sedition charge". The Star. Malaysia. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  16. "Former Perak MB charged with defaming Najib two years ago". The Edge. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  17. "Court acquits and discharges RSN Rayer (Updated)".
  18. "Rayer charged with sedition". New Straits Times. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  19. "PKR's Razifi charged with 'provoking' Umno". The Malay Mail Online. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  20. "Another activist charged with sedition". The Malaysian Insider. 8 September 2014. Archived from the original on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  21. "Muslim preacher arrested under Sedition Act". Astro Awani. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  22. "Muslim preacher in the dock for sedition over insult to Selangor sultan". The Malay Mail Online. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  23. "Man charged over tweet calling IGP a Nazi general". The Malaysian Insider. 15 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  24. "Dragnet proves urgency to axe Sedition Act, Suhakam tells Putrajaya". The Malay Mail Online. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
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