Najib says stakeholders will be consulted on Sedition Act

PUTRAJAYA: The government will ensure that the process of replacing or retaining the Sedition Act 1948 will be done with due consultation with the various stakeholders, especially the Malay groups, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak (pix) said.
He said the government will never do anything that is harmful to the nation or communities.
"The foundation of our country is based on national harmony, stability and unity. As a government, we will not do anything that can cause disharmony; whether we want to have a National Harmony Act or retain the Sedition Act, we will do it through a rational process.
"If we want to change an Act, the new Act must be better than the existing one. For this, certainly we will consult various stakeholders," he said in his address to the Prime Minister Department's staff at their monthly assembly here today.
Najib said that currently the most vocal groups are the Malay groups and the people should understand the issues that are close to their hearts, namely Islamic issues, Malay Rulers and Article 153 of the Federal Constitution which safeguards the rights and privileges of the Malays and bumiputras.
"We must do (the consultation) in a proper way. No matter what decision we make, we will never let the people, Malays or non-Malays, feel worried, lack confidence and feel threatened.
"The people must understand that the government will never do anything that can cause problem or unhappiness to any community in the country," he said, adding that it must act before the situation on the ground becomes uncontrollable.
Najib urged the people to be confident that the process will be done thoughtfully, transparently and in a controlled situation.
The government is being pressured to fulfil its pledge made in July 2012 to repeal the Sedition Act as part of its reform agenda, which is yet to be done.
Najib also called on the people to be more open and to have a global mindset in dealing with situations.
Referring to the missing MH370 and MH17 tragedy this year, Najib said Malaysians must learn to accept that this is a hyperconnected, multidirectional and interdependent world.
"Who could have imagined that the conflict in one corner of the world that has no connection to Malaysia at all, could bring such a huge effect to the country."
Everything that happens in the world will somehow affect Malaysia because the world is hyperconnected, multidirectional and interdependent, he said.
"If we want Malaysia to achieve the status of a developed nation and if we want Malaysia to be declared a developed community, then we have to have a global mindset."
However, he said Malaysians must learn to act in a more global setting without having to let go of the nation's founding principles, religions and core values.
He cited his negotiation with the anti-Ukrainian rebel leader during the MH17 tragedy as an example, stating that as a country's leader he had always dealt with government leaders and never &&&&dealt with a rebel leader.
Meanwhile, Najib announced that Kompleks Perdana Putra has achieved a platinum rating in the Green Building Index (GBI), which would make it one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the country besides being categorised as a High Performance Green Building, reports Bernama.
"It is my intention that this project will become a catalyst for similar initiatives right across Malaysia," he said at the GBI Platinum Certification handing-over ceremony here today.