by Sherina Yusof
Barely a month has passed and Prime Minister Najib Razak has
been shown up once again to be insincere in carrying out his promises to do
away with intimidating laws aimed to suppress freedom of expression and
full democracy in the country.
Police will be investigating law professor Aziz Bari for
criticising the ruling made by the Selangor Sultan over the Jais raid of the
Damansara Utama Methodist Church. Aziz had told media his lawyers were informed
the probe will be made under the Sedition Act
Apostasy
Aziz, who is a lecturer at the International Islamic
University of Malaysia, is expected to give his statement on Wednesday.
In the wake of the Sultan's controversial decision which
found no 'legal evidence' to punish Christians attending a dinner at the DUMC
for trying to proselytize 12 Muslim guests, but yet insisted there were
attempts to do, Aziz had commented the Sultan's move as
"unconventional". He also said it was not wrong to criticise the
Royalty.
The Jais-DUMC raid is widely perceived to be a Selangor
Umno-instigated incident to drive Muslims against the Pakatan Rakyat state
government ahead of general elections widely expected to be held early next
year.
Umno-linked Muslim NGOs were quick to immediately arrange a
Gathering of One Million Muslims rally to protest proselytizing, but the move
upset Christians who said it only rubbed salt into the wound after the Sultan's
accusations which they perceived to be unfair.
PAS has since decided against attending the rally, and its
Pakatan partners PKR and DAP will also not take part.
“The police want to investigate me under the Sedition Act. I
will go with my lawyer," said Aziz.
Hiding
behind Royalty
Najib had on September 15 announced the proposed repeal of
the draconian Internal Security Act and Emergency Ordinance, but gathered few praises
from the people who doubted his political will to unshackle Malaysia from
Umno's authoritarian approach.
Critics had pointed to the Sedition Act and Official Secrets
Act, which the government actively uses to pressure individuals and groups to
toe its line, saying Najib could still intimidate citizens by using these
archaic laws.
"We are fully behind Dr
Aziz Bari and strongly condemn the ham-fisted ways of the BN government and
leaders like Mahathir Mohamad for trying to make use of the Royalty to oppress
the people," Badrul Hisham Shaharin, the PKR Rembau chief and head of
youth NGO Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia, told Malaysia Chronicle.
Source : MC
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