COMMENT It was in fact Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s proposal that the Sedition Act be abolished - a proposal repeated thrice - that triggered the intense debate that has followed since.
The prime minister’s intent was reinforced by the setting up of a committee under the purview of his office to draft a replacement law.
Since then, Najib’s intent has been ebbing and flowing in tandem with political noises made by various members of his coalition party and other groups.
A senior member of this coalition party, the BN, has asked the ‘abolitionists’ to provide a rationale for their position. Najib, as the original proposer of this position, has yet to respond - although this could just as easily be dealt with under his party's internal debate process.
Nonetheless let me, offer the following reasons why this law should be abolished...