Malaysia’s sedition debate
Is the Malaysian government using a colonial-era sedition act to maintain peace or target its opponents?
Using a broad definition of seditious speech, Malaysia is cracking down on dissent and bringing cases against opposition members, writers and activists. Rights groups say the civil liberties of Malaysians are under threat. Prime Minister Najib Razak pledged to repeal the law, but says some aspects of it are needed to combat racial and religious hate speech in Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society. Join the conversation at 19:30 GMT.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak to:
Kean Wong @keanmwong
Malaysian journalist
Azmi Sharom
Law professor, University of Malaya
azmisharom.blogspot.com
Saifuddin Abdullah @saifuddinabd
Member, United Malays National Organisation
saifuddinabdullah.com.my
Hafiz Ariffin @hafiz_ariffin
Youth activist
hafizariffin.com
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.