Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH)

World rights NGO urges end to Zunar’s ‘harassment’

Coordinator

Source: Malaysiakini

Pic form Malaysiakini.

Pic from Malaysiakini.

International and local human rights organisations have slammed what they call the continued harassment of cartoonist Zunar, who was arrested during an exhibition in Penang last Saturday.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation Suaram called on the government to “immediately end the harassment of renowned cartoonist Zunar and drop all charges against him”.

“The arbitrary arrest of Zunar is the latest deplorable act of harassment by a government that is intolerant of any form of peaceful dissent. Read more →

Bersih: Amanah Youth leader’s sedition conviction against free speech

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Mohd Fakhrulrazi was sentenced to eight months’ jail by the Sessions Court here today for seditious remarks made at a #KitaLawan rally in February last year. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Mohd Fakhrulrazi was sentenced to eight months’ jail by the Sessions Court here today for seditious remarks made at a #KitaLawan rally in February last year. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Bersih 2.0 condemned today the conviction of Amanah Youth vice-chief Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar as another step backwards for freedom of expression in the country.

In a statement by its steering committee, the electoral reform group said it deplored the conviction and that the sedition charge should not have been initiated in the first place.

“Fakhrulrazi’s conviction is another huge step backwards for freedom of expression in Malaysia.

“In the first place, the Attorney General should not have initiated the charged under the flawed Sedition Act.”

The group added that despite the 2015 amendment to the Sedition Act to repeal provisions to prosecute for criticisms towards the government and the administration, it was still the majority of sedition cases pursued since Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali took office.

“Besides Fakhrulrazi, eight other activists which includes Bersih 2.0 Chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and Bersih 2.0 Manager Mandeep Singh were also charged for participating in the #KitaLawan rally last year,” the group said. Read more →

After Azmi Sharom, civil society group wants A-G to drop all sedition charges

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Source: The Malaysian Insider

Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan says the Sedition Act goes against the freedom of expression as enshrined in the Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 12, 2016.

Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan says the Sedition Act goes against the freedom of expression as enshrined in the Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 12, 2016.

Following the attorney-general’s decision to withdraw the sedition charge against Universiti Malaya law lecturer, Associate Professor Azmi Sharom, Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH) has called for all sedition charges to be reviewed and dropped.

Its coordinator, Amir Abd Hadi, said it was unfair if other sedition charges were to be continued as they were done unjustly and went against the freedom of expression as enshrined in the Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

“The attorney-general should not use the withdrawal of this sedition charge as publicity to cover his controversy with MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) in relation to the prime minister’s donation case.

“He has to show to the public that he is really sincere in his efforts to reform the legal system in Malaysia,” Amir said in a statement today.  Read more →

GHAH: MEMORANDUM kepada Peguam Negara mengenai penyalahgunaan Akta Hasutan 1948

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Sumber: Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan, melalui SUARAM

GHAHSejak beberapa bulan yang lalu, terdapat peningkatan yang membimbangkan dalam siasatan dan pendakwaan di bawah Akta Hasutan 1948, yang mana sasarannya termasuk wakil-wakil rakyat dan aktivis-aktivis hak asasi manusia yang mempunyai tanggungjawab awam untuk bersuara mengenai perkara-perkara yang melibatkan kepentingan awam.

Sejak 27 Julai 2015, dua orang Ahli Parlimen pembangkang dan lima orang aktivis telah didakwa di bawah undang-undang tersebut. Sejak tahun 2013, terdapat peningkatan sebanyak 1,700 peratus dalam pertuduhan hasutan berbanding tempoh di antara 2007 dan 2012.

Tidak dapat dinafikan bahawa Akta Hasutan juga ditakrifkan secara luas dan ianya terbuka kepada penyalahgunaan. Di bawah Akta Hasutan, hampir apa sahaja yang disuarakan atau diterbitkan yang menjurus kepada perbalahan boleh dianggap sebagai menghasut. Read more →

Activist remanded four days for sedition over tweet

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH) meanwhile condemned the use of the Sedition Act on Khalid as unnecessary, saying his alleged tweet on October 6 was not seditious at all. — Picture by Yiswaree Palansamy

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — Activist Khalid Mohd Ismath has been rearrested under the Sedition Act 1948 and remanded today for four days over an alleged tweet criticising the detention of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) critic Datuk Khairuddin Abu Hassan and lawyer Matthias Chang.

News portal Malaysiakini reported that Khalid was first detained Wednesday in Johor Baru under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and that he was supposed to be released last night after the court denied a police application for an extension to his two-day remand.

“This morning when he was brought to court, the police were granted a four-day remand,” Sevan Doraisamy, executive director of human rights group Suaram, told Malaysiakini after getting the information from Khalid’s wife. Read more →