'Chinese blood': Charge Najib under Sedition Act - Malaysiakini

V for Vernon | May 9, 08 5:04pm

It is indeed noteworthy that our ever-so-efficient and conscientious Polis Di-Raja Malaysia and the Attorney-General's Chambers have recently demonstrated vigilance and duty in upholding the laws of the land.

As such, Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin of the ‘Malaysia Today’ blog has been charged under the Sedition Act 1948, specifically under Section 4(1)(c) relating to the publishing of a seditious article. It is also understood that a Malaysian author, Syed Akbar Ali, was also charged for seditious comments posted on ‘Malaysia Today's’ website.

These two cases now are ultimately in the hands of our enlightened and impartial judiciary to determine if these two individuals are guilty. (Correct, correct, correct! I did indeed say ‘enlightened’ and ‘impartial’).

In the meantime, I would like to bring everyone's attention to a couple of other sections of the Sedition Act. Under section 3(1), those acts defined as having a seditious tendency include:

3(1)(d) - to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the subjects of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or of the Ruler of any State or amongst the inhabitants of Malaysia or of any State;

3(1)(e) - to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Malaysia;
It is widely documented that in the days preceding Operasi Lallang in October 1987, Najib Razak then as the head of Umno Youth, made a speech at a rally in Kampung Baru where he vowed to bathe his keris in the blood of Chinese Malaysian citizens.

And this speech was delivered against a background of banners by Umno Youth saying such things as ‘May 13 has begun’ and ‘Soak it with Chinese blood’.

I would therefore like to invite my fellow Malaysians to join me in a call to the Polis Di-Raja Malaysia and the Attorney-General's Chambers to investigate, without fear or favour, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and to determine if he had indeed violated the sections above of the Sedition Act.

Given that the event occurred two decades ago, there may perhaps be a statute of limitation in effect on whether Najib can be charged, if he had indeed broken the law. Nevertheless, it is only right that a full and impartial investigation be carried out.

And as a separate matter as to whether Najib ends up being charged or not, it is certainly the case that such a man who can put himself into such a vile context and say such heinous things, should be deemed unfit to become the prime minister of a multiracial country like Malaysia.