KUALA LUMPUR: The government hopes to present the draft of the National Harmony Bill, which is set to replace the Sedition Act, to Parliament by the end of next year.
In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, it said until new legislation was in place, existing cases must be tried under existing laws.
“Any charges under the Sedition Act are a matter for the courts. Malaysia’s judiciary is independent, as the verdicts of many cases prove,” the statement read.
It said the drafting of the bill was taking time because it was being worked on in consultation with civic societies and the public.
A number of recommendations had also been received, including from the National Unity Consultative Council, and they were being studied.
“Like other countries, we are working to find the right balance between freedom of speech and national harmony in the age of online media.”
The statement said the government welcomed feedback from all sections of society regarding the bill, which it said intended to be a comprehensive, fair and lasting piece of legislation that promoted national harmony while protecting citizens from racial or religious hatred.
The Sedition Act is aimed at prosecuting those who attempted to “bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against” the government or engender “feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races”. Bernama