(April 8): Activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan asked Putrajaya today if the government was declaring war on its people, following the latter’s introduction of several "oppressive" laws, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) and amendments to the draconian Sedition Act.

Ambiga said that the government had "better have a good reason" but added that she failed to see the purpose of adding on to other similar legislation.

"If I could quote someone who said this yesterday, with Pota and amendments to the Sedition Act, the government is declaring war on its people," she said at the Parliament lobby today.

"I want to know why they are doing that. They better have a very good reason."

Ambiga, who is the spokesperson for the Remove Sedition Act Movement (GHAH), was in Parliament today, along with members of the activist group and other lawyers to hand over a memorandum to lawmakers, urging Putrajaya to withdraw the amendments to the colonial-era law.

The memorandum listed several reasons GHAH opposed the amendments, including the inclusion of "religion" as an additional grounds for sedition, saying it was unwarranted.

"There are sufficient provisions in the Penal Code to cover hate speech relating to religion," it said.

The group also noted that the government's justification for introducing the amendments –an increase of harmful and malicious comments attacking religious and racial harmony in the country – was misleading.

"It is the government which has been tacitly supporting extremist behaviour and using the act to clamp down on opposition politicians, academics, lawyers, dissidents, journalists and others to make certain issues off-limits, stifle civil liberties and create a climate of fear."

Ambiga said the group was "very concerned" with the provisions Putrajaya was proposing to the Sedition Act, which will also include refusing bail to those charged under the colonial-era law.

"We are very concerned that they have increased the punishment, that they have removed a lot of the discretion of the courts. We see that all through the act and that is very, very worrying," said Ambiga, who is also patron of people's movement Negara-ku.

"We are hoping to get all MPs to oppose these. There are constitutional issues. There are issues on the way they are doing it."

Yesterday, Ambiga had hit out at Putrajaya, claiming that the government had little respect for the country's judiciary.

She said Putrajaya did not seem to care that the constitutionality of the act was being challenged in the court by academic Dr Azmi Sharom and as such, any amendments to it was "absolutely appalling".

Azmi was charged with sedition over his comments in a news article titled “Take Perak crisis route for speedy end to Selangor impasse, Pakatan told”.

Today, she reiterated that Putrajaya needed to engage with opposition politicians and civil society before proceeding with the amendments.

"They should give us a chance to discuss it... the lawmakers, civil society. We want time before you impose this ridiculously oppressive legislation," she added.

Opposition lawmakers, including Charles Santiago (DAP-Klang), G. Manivannan (PKR-Kapar) and Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah (PAS-Kuala Terengganu) received the memorandum. – The Malaysian Insider