YOURSAY | Broken promises overshadow Sedition Act concerns

YOURSAY | ‘Voters know no matter who is in power the Act will remain.’

Voters may punish govt over Sedition Act, pundits warn

BusinessFirst: The problem with Pakatan Harapan is that it has broken so many of the promises made before the 15th general election. Hence, the Sedition Act 1948 is just one of many things Harapan has backtracked on.

Worse, it seems to be robust in cracking down on free speech.

Former allies among NGOs seem to be treated with suspicion now that Harapan is part of the government.

I do not think that the Sedition Act per se is the problem.

The reason why this Act is being given so much attention is because former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin is being charged with it.

However, I am with the government on this. It was the Pahang palace that complained about his speech.

What do you expect the government to do? The law is in place. The courts will have to decide.

The most important thing that determines if a party wins or loses in an election is the state of the economy.

If wages rise and the cost of living improves, the votes will come in. If the economy is bad and people are suffering, then there will be a change in government.

Proarte: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came to power on the Reformasi ticket and the people had high expectations.

Rather disappointingly, Anwar has operated on the same old Umno and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad modus operandi with all its seeming “deep state” activities of dividing and ruling the populace.

Anwar is nonchalant and unapologetic about the betrayal of the electorate who voted for Harapan.

He is sitting pretty on his perch, with the support of politicians whom he would not touch with a barge pole before the last general election.

The only way to improve democracy and justice, as opposed to the current feudal and corrupt nature of governance, is through education.

The other alternative is a revolution when things get really bad economically and socially, but this would probably bring about worse long-term consequences.

As power is the be-all and end-all, Anwar has adopted the status quo, which explains the slow pace of promised reforms and the lack of serious desire to improve the education system to have a truly educated population who can think for themselves and critically.

UB40: The Harapan-led administration is behaving the same way the BN government previously did.

Harapan deceived the voters who wanted change in policy and abolition of the Sedition Act, Printing Presses & Publications Act 1984 and other draconian acts stifling people’s liberty and freedom.

Come GE16, no one will vote for PKR, which should change its name, which stands for Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People’s Justice Party), as it does not befit them.

It was only a gimmick to woo voters who are hungry for reforms. Unfortunately, there have been zero reforms but instead, they want to introduce or enhance existing acts to further silence the people.

DAP has been quiet. It must speak out like it did when in the opposition. If it behaves this way come the next general election my vote will not go to DAP.

OceanMasterII: The danger is that if and when those in opposition win GE16 and manage to form the government, they will, without hesitation, use the full brunt of the law to suppress dissenting views.

Harapan must see this as a long-term risk for the nation, democracy and Constitution.

It must address the excesses of this law and normalise it to a standard that reflects pragmatism, compliance with the rule of law, and future-proof it with the clear intent of protecting the rights of every citizen as provided in the Constitution.

Falcon: There is no need for a thesis on the subject. The Sedition Act is an archaic and draconian legislation of an age past.

Extending and weaponising its use is an abomination of justice. How can we have legislation that punishes an individual or a community for speaking the truth?

Sounds vulgar and insane in this age and time. It’s inappropriate in any nation that wants to be democratically vibrant and active. No?

RR: If the Sedition Act is repealed, the law must allow for criminal defamation to be instituted against present and past politicians and others who deliver hate speech or ridicule any race or religion.

This is to sustain harmony and peace in our multiracial and multi-religious nation.

Coward: The Sedition Act is not really on voters’ radar as there are bigger fish to fry.

Yes, they will grumble, but when the time comes, it is always about choosing the lesser of two evils.

However, voters know no matter who is in power the Act will remain.

Hence, this does not even make it to the list of issues to consider.

Freethinker: Based on what Anwar is doing, his voters will punish him for forgetting what they want.

Many hope there is a third force in the next election and Muda could be a good start.

Not voting or voting Perikatan Nasional is not a choice. Voting for the third force should be considered.

RedMarlin1833: The lack of reforms has irked the people as Harapan promised a lot when they were in the opposition.

However, the public is still looking at bread-and-butter issues, and that is at the core of their dissatisfaction. If the government can get its act together, it may just turn the tide.

Remember, there are at least three more years left before voters head to the ballot box.

Manoharan Malayalam: I don’t think voters will punish the government over the Sedition Act.

Many voters have no clue what the Sedition Act is.

It’s not just the voters who are grumbling. It is the politicians who are responsible for trumping fear in voters. The Sedition Act literally works against the politicians.

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