(April 8): Following criticsm from lawyers and civil rights group, an Umno lawmaker wants Putrajaya to withdraw the amendments to the Sedition Act so that more discussion on the controversial changes could be held.

Kinbatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin said lack of awareness on the changes among the public had triggered some confusion.

"That is not good. That is why we must see the content of the amendments carefully and people should be allowed to voice their opinion," he told the media in parliament today.

Bung Mokhtar said that the amendments proposed by Putrajaya must be good for the people, adding that if they were detrimental, they should be withdrawn.

“The amendments must be for the good of the people. If it is good, we will support. If not, we ask the government to pull back the amendments and discuss the content instead,” the flamboyant Bung Mokhtar added.

The amendments to the Sedition Act will include refusing bail to those charged under the colonial-era law and an increase of the penalty for those convicted, with a minimum of three years imprisonment and a maximum of five years.

"Among the issues of concern are the increasingly harmful and malicious comments, postings and publications that jeopardise the valued ideals of Malaysia – tolerance, racial and religious harmony," Putrajaya said in justification of the amendments.

"Even more alarming are the calls for secession of states in the Federation of Malaysia established by the consensus of the peoples of Malaysia and unwarranted attacks against the sovereign institutions of Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the ruler of the states."

Bung Mokhtar said those who had called for secession had a right to do so.

"Everybody has the right to comment; we have our right to say 'yes' or 'no'.

"Actually, we have seen what has happened before in our country when some groups tried to inspire people to pull Sarawak out of Malaysia. It is not good because Malaysia is Malaysia. No one can bring us out," the Sabahan lawmaker said.

Last month, four people were charged with sedition in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, for allegedly possessing materials urging Sabah and Sarawak to leave Malaysia.

The materials are said to be linked to the Facebook page "Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia", which advocates the two Bornean states leave the federation of Malaysia.

Activists and opposition politicians have criticised Putrajaya over the amendments which, they said, were alarming.

They were concerned that it would give Putrajaya a new tool to silence its critics as most of those charged under the act were political dissenters.

From February to March, about 160 people have been arrested and investigated under the Sedition Act.

Most of them were Pakatan Rakyat politicians and activists who were picked up either for questioning the sodomy conviction and imprisonment of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, or for participating in two rallies calling for his release.

Other politicians as well as cartoonists, academicians, lawyers and journalists, have been investigated for questioning government policies. – The Malaysian Insider