(April 10): Datuk Seri Najib Razak reneged on his promise to repeal the pre-colonial  Sedition Act and instead made the law worse, said the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), condemning the passing of amendments to the act at the Dewan Rakyat early this morning.

The statement from ICJ, issued just hours after Dewan Rakyat passed the amendments, added that the changes allowed greater scope for the law to be abused by authorities to violate human rights.

Noting that the amendments were part of a series of bills that were rushed through Parliament this week, ICJ's legal adviser Emerlynne Gil said: "It is unfortunate that Prime Minister Najib Razak has chosen to renege on his promise to abolish the Sedition Act and instead went ahead to make the law worse than it already is.

“It is undeniable that these amendments would send a further chilling effect on the freedom of expression in Malaysia that is already restricted.”

The amendments, which critics said would make the law more draconian, were passed by a vote of 108 to 79 at 2.30am this morning after 12 hours of heated debate.

Najib had promised three years ago to repeal the controversial law.

The amendments include the removal of criticism of the government or the administration of justice as something seditious, and make promoting hatred between different religions an offence.

The amendments also do away with fines, with a jail term of between three and seven years, as well as up to 20 years’ imprisonment for seditious acts or statements that lead to bodily harm and property damage.

There is also no leniency for first-time and youthful offenders, who can be automatically slapped with a minimum three-year sentence.

The act also empowers the court to order the removal of seditious material on the Internet. – The Malaysian Insider