Malaysia amends sedition act amid criticism

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia today toughened its controversial Sedition Law, imposing a maximum jail term of 20 years and allowing the government to block online websites deemed to be seditious, a move denounced by the UN and criticised by the Opposition as a "black day" for democracy.

The amendments to the Sedition Act has extended the maximum jail sentence to 20 years from the current three years and impose a minimum three-year jail term for certain cases.

The revised act also makes it illegal to promote sedition on the internet, which may give rise to web censorship.

Malaysian Parliament passed the edition Bill with several changes to the proposed amendments brought by the government after a lengthy 12-hour debate.

The Bill was passed despite attempts by Opposition MPs to stop the amendments. The Opposition had proposed nine changes to the Bill but failed to get them approved by the House.

The amendment to the Sedition Act, first tabled in parliament on Tuesday and the first revision in 40 years, sought to extend the maximum jail term to 20 years from the current three years and allow authorities to deny a suspect bail and seize their travel documents.

"It is not true for the Opposition to say that this Act will be used to oppress the voice of dissent against the Government as it is clear that the provisions relating to the criticism to the Government in the principal Act were removed," Home Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid said.

The government move to toughen the Sedition Act further was criticised by opposition politicians and rights groups, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"It is very disappointing that the Malaysian Government is now proposing to make a bad law worse," Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in a statement before the parliament vote.

"This is a black day for democracy in Malaysia. There is no freedom of speech under this abusive law," opposition lawmaker N Surendran said.

The Opposition had proposed nine changes to the Bill but failed to get them approved by the House.

Malaysia also this week brought back indefinite detention without trial, after abolishing it in 2012.

This was part of an anti-terrorism bill which the government said was aimed at tackling the threat from Islamic extremists.