Let’s look at what constitutes insult against rulers, says PM

Noel Achariam Noel Achariam Updated 7 years ago · Published on 10 Jan 2019 2:43PM · 6 Comments

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says if freedom of speech is stifled in Malaysia, no one will talk about crimes being committed. – EPA pic, January 10, 2019.

THE government will not blindly pass new laws to punish anything and everything uttered against the Malay rulers, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The prime minister said there was a need to study what constituted an insult before protecting the royals from criticisms.

He said any new law should clearly spell out the exact insulting words or actions for people to be punished.

“In Malaysia we practise freedom of speech. If what is said is factual, then the person cannot be blamed.

“If the enforcement stifles everyone’s freedom of speech, the people will even stop talking about crimes when they happen.

“We have to look at the definition of what is correct,” he said after a special cabinet meeting on anti-corruption in Putrajaya today.

Earlier today de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong said Putrajaya was mulling a new law to protect the monarchy from attacks and insults, as it feels that the current penalties were inadequate.

He said the government had been discussing the new law since October, and it is expected to be tabled in Parliament this year.

Dr Mahathir also said that enforcement agencies might not understand what is considered to be an insult, and that is why it needs to be looked into.

The call for new laws with severe punishments has increased in recent days, as a number of people took to social media to allegedly insult Sultan Muhammad V, who resigned as Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sunday.

So far, at least four people have either been sacked, suspended or resigned from their jobs after being accused of insulting Sultan Muhammad.

The police have arrested at least three of them for investigations under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act.

If convicted, first-time offenders may be fined not more than RM5,000, jailed for not more than three years, or both. – January 10, 2019.

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Comments

  • I agree with Tun

    Posted 7 years ago by Adrian Tan · Reply

  • Bravo Tun.....

    Posted 7 years ago by Ebrahim Mohideen · Reply

  • Salute to Tun.

    Posted 7 years ago by Danial Abdullah · Reply

  • Walk the talk rather than the long talk of the talk. Would the defacto law minister also mull on a new law to protect rakyat from being short changed of the country wealth and resources by unscrupulous leaders and figure head that has been plundering the country. Can a law be enacted and quickly seize the assets and financial wealth of anyone immediately who is being charged and to be disbursed back to the rakyat. Law has to be uniformed and work out for the best of everyone who is Malaysian.

    Posted 7 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Great statement by our statesman Tun M. This clears all confusion which was unfortunately created by the de facto law minister.

    Posted 7 years ago by Izwan Z. · Reply

  • Agreed...anyone should be able to rebut what the royals say ( eg the young kid in Johor) as long as it is said in a proper manner and not insulting.

    Posted 7 years ago by Lipdah Lia · Reply