KUALA LUMPUR – Attempts by the opposition to supposedly throw Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (Kulim-Bandar Baharu-PH) for a loop over issues relating to 3R (race, religion and royalty) and the Sedition Act 1948 appeared to fall flat in the Dewan Rakyat.
Two PAS MPs – opposition whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hasan (Kota Bharu-PN) and Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (Arau-PN) – interjected the minister’s speech multiple times to press him for a response.
Saifuddin, however, was ready to field such questions by furnishing evidence of the government’s stance on the issues while also taking the time to lecture lawmakers on political etiquette.
In response to Takiyuddin’s insistence that enforcement action against alleged 3R offences should not only be carried out towards those on one side of the political divide, Saifuddin promptly pointed out that investigations had been carried out on a government figure.
Takiyuddin also cited several instances when a government lawmaker had made statements allegedly offending 3R sentiments, including the time when the figure had claimed that the “green wave” will destroy temples and not allow non-Muslim prayers to be conducted.
“Regarding the issue (Takiyuddin) mentioned, the investigation paper on the case under Section 595(c) (of the Penal Code) has been referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) on July 7.
“I’m privy to details in all investigation papers with much worse allegations. What I’m trying to say is that we should no longer resort to this sort of politics. There are also investigation papers on some (MPs) in front of me, but that’s for the AGC to (disclose),” Saifuddin said.
While Saifuddin did not specify which of Takiyuddin’s listed instances he was referring to, he said that the opposition should not be so quick to lambast the government for supposedly “disrespecting” rulers when they have a history of going against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree.
“We (the government) say that the Agong must be respected as stated in our Rukun Negara, but then we’re accused of disrespecting the Agong.
“However, when the Agong said mosques should not be used as a political arena, the same people who accused us (of disrespecting the Agong) said that the decree is not a final order.”
In March this year, Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar reportedly issued a stern warning to politicians against defying the directive from rulers to stop using mosques as political platforms.
The sultan also expressed his displeasure over a religious teacher, purportedly an MP, who had made derogatory remarks against the nation’s royal institution by claiming that the royalty, the prime minister and ministers are beneath religious scholars, reported The Star.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin also exchanged barbs with Takyuddin and Arau when they quizzed him on the government’s commitment to study the Sedition Act, which has been criticised for being a tool to suppress freedom of expression.
“Last time, you (Saifuddin) said that the Sedition Act will be abolished completely. As a legal practitioner myself, we’ve seen that there are loopholes in the law which can be misused by the government against those perceived to have differing interests.
“I just want your assurance (on) the Sedition Act, which you once labelled as a ‘draconian law’…does the government intend to analyse the law so that it cannot be misused by any enforcement agency?” Takiyuddin questioned.
Saifuddin then countered by throwing a query of his own, asking Takiyuddin if he had submitted a bill to the cabinet to amend or repeal the act during his tenure as law minister under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government led by then-prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (Pagoh-PN).
“We’ve been on opposite sides for the last few years, but before that, we were together in the 90s under Barisan Alternatif. When we wrote our manifesto on abolishing draconian laws, we wrote that same sentence together.
“When you were law minister, I’d like to ask you back, did you bring a paper to cabinet to amend or repeal the act? If you did that, I’ll go look for it,” Saifuddin said.
Takiyuddin then said that Saifuddin should not show his “denial syndrome,” claiming that while the government at that time had the intention to amend the act, it did not have time to do so.
“InsyaAllah, when we’re on that side, we will make amendments to the Sedition Act and repeal it once and for all,” Takiyuddin quipped, to which Saifuddin said: “I’ll wait for you to be on this side, then I’ll ask you the same question you asked me.”
Not one to be left out, Shahidan interrupted the exchange to say that Takiyuddin did not have time to enact any amendments as he was in office for just over a year, prompting Saifuddin to say: “I’ve only been in office 11 months.” – November 1, 2023