Yoursay: Wan Ji’s jail sentence a letdown in 'New M’sia'

YOURSAY | ‘The Sedition Act wouldn’t even have applied if Harapan had kept its promise to abolish it.’

Insulting royalty - preacher Wan Ji's sentence enhanced, begins jail term today

BA Baracus: How can this even be adjudicated and the sentence enhanced? Pakatan Harapan, you are fast becoming Umno/BN and may even overtake them. 

The entire Harapan machinery must vigorously appeal this matter and repeal the draconian Sedition Act 1948, a relic of British colonial rule.

Phgoh: Preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin was charged and convicted and sentenced during BN rule. It is only the appeal process that is being carried out under Harapan rule.

But the judiciary is supposed to be independent of the government of the day. So why blame the Harapan government?

Malaysian: @Phgoh, "why blame the Harapan government", you ask?

The attorney-general could have withdrawn the case – like how the prosecution dropped corruption charges against Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, and murder charges against two women in relation to the assassination of North Korea’s Kim Jong-nam.

So why not withdraw this?

Anonymous183273734676: No, unfortunately, the new attorney-general cannot drop the charges.

Wan Ji was already convicted under the Sedition Act in April last year for making remarks that were found to be seditious against the Selangor sultan on Facebook.

What the Attorney-General’s Chambers could have done, however, is to withdraw its appeal to enhance the jail sentence from nine months to one year.

Malaysian Malaysian: A sad day indeed. Truly disappointing. I did not expect this of the judiciary. What a let-down.

Has the institution, which was set up to be the last bastion of justice for the ordinary person to seek justice for himself/herself as the rakyat, let one of the rakyat’s own down?

I am hanging my head in shame.

‘Too harsh’ - Anwar slams Wan Ji’s jail term for sedition

Malaysian-United: Yes, the sentence is far too harsh and cruel.

How can the prosecution allow this? How can the judge impose such a heavy sentence? How can the royalty keep mum over this cruel treatment towards their subject? What nonsense is this?

Regretfully, we have voted in a government that runs and goes into hiding whenever the right-wing Malay extremists crawl out from their hole and make some noise.

Where are the 'champions' of social justice and the 'reformists' who just over a year ago promised us everything under the sun?

They were supposed to abolish the Sedition Act and other draconian laws, but such laws are still very much alive today and have actually landed someone in prison for a longer period than imposed earlier.

Gerard Lourdesamy: The attorney-general should explain his abhorrent conduct in this case. Is he in control of his chambers, or are hidden hands undermining his authority and causing embarrassment to the Harapan government?

The lawyers for Wan Ji should lodge an appeal with the Court of Appeal and ask for a stay of execution on an urgent basis.

If the AGC has any decency left, it should not object to the stay and offer no objection to the appeal against conviction and sentence.

Since the Sedition Act is to be repealed, why are cases still being prosecuted under this draconian relic of the former colonial power?

Undecided: Give the attorney-general a break. He is no superhuman.

With so much pressure on the many high-profile cases involving former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, he could do with one.

Roger 5201: “Too harsh”? What are you talking about, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim?

The Sedition Act would not even apply if Harapan had kept its promise to abolish it.

Papaya Seeds: Leaders don't shrug and offer sympathy. Leaders take a stand. Leaders act. Leaders bring change.

Stop giving lame excuses to retain Sedition Act – Ambiga hammers Harapan

Ferdtan: Former Malaysian Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan, why don’t you point out the two stumbling blocks in this episode – Attorney-General Tommy Thomas and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad?

The attorney-general, for allowing his deputy public prosecutors to appeal for a higher sentence instead of expected fines for most; and Mahathir, for his stubbornness for not wanting to repeal the Sedition Act.

We know most Harapan leaders are for repealing the Act but obviously, due to the intransigence of Mahathir, it has not happened.

So for the sake of removing the Sedition Act, here’s a million dollar question - should there be a change of prime minister? Many would jump to say no, so stop whining about the repealing of the Sedition Act.

Mahathir has made it very clear – the Sedition Act is to stay.

Anonymous_1527925538: Ambiga is a lawyer. She should instead comment on why the sentence was enhanced by the courts.

The Sedition Act is needed to enable the police to act against racial and religious extremists, who can provoke violence if not stopped immediately.

Steven Ong: As long as the majority believes they cannot be questioned because they are above the rest, this oppressive law will remain as a tool by the insecure yet arrogant section of the government to prevent exposure of wrong or negative behaviour of certain people and the majority. 

Blame this on the education that produces insecure and immature citizens. Know that no human is above criticism, that each is free to give one's opinion, and that criticism and negative opinions are a part of a progressive nation.

So bear with this until all are treated as equal in Malaysia.

PW Cheng: It’s yesterday once more, just as the Carpenters sang.

Under Mahathir, don't expect much change as his records are not that illuminating. It's not Pakatan Harapan. It's Putus Harapan.

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