Suhakam: Don't use Sosma to stifle political expression
PETALING JAYA: Preventive
detention laws in Malaysia such as the Security Offences (Special
Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 were enacted to address terrorism concerns,
said the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
"The Commission is perturbed that the broad characterisation of
"security offences under Sosma now suggests that its ambit extends
beyond terrorism offences, contradicting the Prime Minister's guarantee
in 2011 that no individual will be arrested merely on the point of
political ideology," said its acting chairman Datuk Dr. Khaw Lake Tee in
a statement on Monday.
Khaw said that recent arrests under Sosma contravened Section 4(3) of
the Act which reads that "no person shall be arrested and detained for
his political belief and political activity."
"As such, the Commission is most indignant at such widespread and
flagrant Constitutional violations and is deeply concerned that
preventive detention, terrorism and security laws are being misused to
suppress political expression and dissent," said Khaw.
On September 23, former Batu Kawan Umno division vice-chief
Khairuddin Abu Hassan was arrested under Sosma at the Kuala Lumpur High
Court for alleged acts of sabotage.
This was followed with the arrest of Khairuddin's lawyer, Matthias
Chang on Oct 8 after visiting Khairuddin at the Dang Wangi police
station.
On Monday morning, both Khairuddin and Chang were charged under
Section 124(L) of the Penal Code for allegedly attempting to sabotage
the country’s banking and financial systems.
Responding to this, Khaw said that the authorities, in particular the
Royal Malaysian Police risked injuring their credibility if they
"continue to misuse anti-terrorism and/or security laws for
non-terrorism purposes".
"The Commission calls for enforcement personnel to be given proper
guidance and training on the use and application of such laws and
regrets that government critics have been targeted through national
security laws and calls for these charges to be immediately dropped as
Sosma when misused has proven to cause and will cause serious human
rights violations," - Star, 12/10/2015
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