CALL FOR THE REPEAL OF

SEDITION LAW 1 IN MALAYSIA | BY IUSY APC

Whereas, the Malaysia Federal Constitution provides

him from public life, but also to deter others from the

for the rights for Freedom of Speech subject to the pro-

free expression of dissent, and the Council strongly ur-

vision of law in the nation,

ged that the conviction be overturned, that his political rights be fully respected and that the be free to carry

Whereas, the Malaysia Sedition Act 1948 have been cal-

out his responsibilities as a Member of Parliament,

led to question the relevance of such Legislation in a nation whose constitution espouses freedom of speech

Whereas, Comrade Karpal Singh, 73, a Senior Lawyer

and is one that has been known to be used by the ruling

and National Chairman of DAP Malaysia was convicted

regime to persecute their political foes.

on a charge of Sedition on the 22nd of February 2014, and is awaiting the court’s sentencing scheduled for

Whereas, the Malaysia government itself had prior to

the 11th March 2014 on a charge against him for alle-

the last General elections in the nation made a promise

gedly uttered “words with seditious tendency” in early

to repeal the Malaysia Sedition Act 1948,

2009 when he questioned about whether the ruler of the State of Perak, Malaysia, had the legal authority to

Whereas, a resolution by the Council of the Socialist

remove the then State’s Chief Minister of Perak from

International in 1998, meeting in Oslo, had noted with

office,

grave concern the decision of the Malaysia Court to sentence to three years’ imprisonment Comrade Lim Guan Eng, an elected Member of Parliament and the then Deputy Secretary General of the Democratic Action Party of Malaysia, a member party of the Socialist International, who was charged and convicted under the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publication Act and whereby the Socialist International believed the case against Lim Guan Eng reflects a desire not only to detain and silence a prominent critic, removing

Now, therefore, it is hereby resolved, that IUSY and its member organizations condemn the selective prosecution of the ruling regime in Malaysia and call for the repeal of the draconian and outdated law, namely the Malaysia Sedition Act 1948, and the urged that the higher courts in Malaysia overturn the decision on conviction and that the political rights of Comrade Karpal Singh 30 be fully respected and that the be free to carry out his responsibilities as a Member of Parliament.

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF SOCIALIST YOUTH Resolution adopted by the XXX. IUSY World Congress 2014, Denmark

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