No ulterior motive in retaining Sedition Act, says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: There is no ulterior motive in retaining the Sedition Act 1948 but to protect all Malaysians and the country's social contract, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said.
He reiterated that it was important to retain the Act as even developed countries are facing a crisis with racial strain and riots, referring to the racial riots in London in 2011, and the massive demonstration in Ferguson, Mississippi, recently.
"It is not just about protecting the rights of Muslims and Malays but also the non-Malays and non-Muslims; it is to protect our social contract that is embedded in the Federal Constitution," Najib said at the 61st PPP annual general meeting today.

Earlier, PPP president Tan Sri M. Kayveas pledged his full support for Najib's decision on the Sedition Act.
"PPP will not be like some half-hearted, cautious soothsayers.
"As the saying goes, there are only two rule in the game. Rule 1, the boss is always right. Rule 2, if the boss is wrong refer back to Rule 1," he said.
Najib, in urging the people to believe in his decision, said retaining the Sedition Act will not assure Barisan Nasional's victory in the next general election.
"The Sedition Act will not assure our victory; it is in the will of the people. We must remember that above all we are a political party and we need the will and support of the people," Najib said.
Citing the Mark Koding case, he said the court convicted Koding of sedition when he called for the abolition of Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools.
Koding, a BN MP, had called for the abolition of vernacular schools in favour of a single stream school in 1982.
He had made the same suggestion in Parliament in 1978.
Najib said with the strengthening of the Sedition Act, there won't be conflicts and acrimonious statements or religious tensions in the country.
He also urged PPP to reinvigorate itself and work hard to increase its influence in politics.
Later, Najib attended the Indus Education Foundation (IEF) launch where he said the government has allocated a RM5 million grant this year to the IEF in an effort to provide financial assistance for Indian students from middle and low income families to pursue their education at private educational institutions in the country through interest-free financial support.
He said funds will be in the form of fellowships, scholarships, bursaries, medals and prizes.
He added that IEF chairman Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam had also pledged to raise an additional RM25 million for the foundation for the next five years.