Non-Malays do not need protection just equal right as the Malays

Sedition Act must stay to protect non-Malays, say 50 Malay NGOs

BY ANISAH SHUKRY

Published: 11 June 2014 | Updated: 11 June 2014 2:05 PM

Malay Consultative Council constitutional and consultative bureau chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman (right), and Tan Sri Mohd Zaman Khan (centre), MPM chairman of the integrity bureau say today that the Sedition Act should not be replaced by three bills mooted by the National Unity Consultation Council. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Najjua Zulkefli, June 11, 2014.The Sedition Act must be retained to protect the rights of non-Malays and maintain the inter-racial harmony Malaysia has enjoyed for decades, a group of Malay-Muslim non-governmental organisations (NGOs) said today.

The group, which claims to represent 50 Malay NGOs, said replacing the controversial act with three new bills mooted by the National Unity Consultation Council (NUCC) would allow Malaysians to question sensitive issues that would eventually lead to chaos.

“We don’t want to create trouble for non-Malays. We are trying to protect them. It’s not only for the Malays, but the legitimate rights of the non-Malays,” said Tan Sri Mohd Zaman Khan, chairman of the integrity bureau of the Malay Consultative Council (MPM).

“We want to stress to the government that abolishing the Sedition Act is something that is unimaginable. These are vital laws that will guarantee peace, happiness, and progress in our country,” Zaman, who was also a former CID director, said after a meeting with Malay NGOs in Kuala Lumpur.

MPM constitutional and consultative bureau chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman said the Sedition Act prevented Malaysians from questioning Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which touched on the Malay special rights, Bahasa Melayu as the official language, citizenship and the position of the rulers.

“We have identified that if you question that, it will create trouble. Now these new bills they propose have taken that out. If the new bills come out, everyone will question this and it will create trouble,” said the former Malaysia Airlines chairman.

The three draft bills are the proposed National Harmony Bill, National Unity Bill and the National Unity and Integration Commission Bill, as announced by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri on May 30.

Nancy had reportedly said the NUCC submitted the first draft of the proposed bills to the cabinet last May.

Abdul Kareem of Muslim Consumers Association Malaysia said the Sedition Act was a “time-tested ingredient” to protect Malaysians, and removing this “fundamental safety net” would be courting serious trouble.

When asked if he did not believe Malaysians were mature enough to discuss such issues, Abdul said emotions could overwhelm anyone’s maturity.

“When we talk about emotions, maturity goes into the waste basket. Look at the slaughtering of Palestinians, funded by America – are we saying that America is not mature? Maturity is a different proponent altogether.”

He also dismissed accusations that the Sedition Act was used as a tool to persecute opposition politicians and anti-Barisan Nasional activists, saying that those quarters had “vested interests”.

NUCC's law and policy working committee chairman Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said on Monday the three draft bills would not interfere with the position of Islam or the special position of Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak, but would serve as powerful instruments to minimise and avoid racial and religious conflicts in Malaysia's multi-ethnic society, if adopted. – June 11, 2014.

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EVERYDAY WE ARE FACE WITH MADNESS.

NO WONDER THE PEOPLE ARE FED-UP WITH THE MALAYS.

IT IS TIME THE MALAYS WISE UP AND BE DECENT AS A HUMAN BEING.