Opposition Firmly Opposes Communications Amendment Bill, Syed Saddiq: It Should Be Renamed 'Gag Order Act'

Opposition MPs are adamantly opposing the 1998 Communications and Multimedia Act Amendment Bill and are requesting to temporarily shelve the bill. Muar MP, Syed Saddiq, even suggested renaming the amendment as 'Gag Order Act'.

“Because this is the reality of the law, cloaked under a nice title, all declarations are thrown into the trash bin.”

He said during the debate on the 1998 Communications and Multimedia Act Amendment that individuals who once took to the streets and described the act as cruel and regressive are now using the same act to oppress the people.

He said that an online media, which earlier reported a nationwide sensational corruption case, was even instructed by the enforcement authorities to take down the video and audio.

“When they were in the opposition and the Wall Street Journal exposed the 1MDB issue, they would defend frontliners who were threatened. Today, when there are instructions from today's government, are they silent? This shows that the act has already been abused even before the amendment.”

He said many criticisms against the government have been taken down, “Was former leader Tan Sri Rafidah's criticism of the Ringgit a hate speech? Is Khairy's comment on BlackRock also hate speech?”

He added that any remarks that might displease or discomfort them would be silenced, and in more severe cases, individuals would be sent straight to jail to be silenced.

Maran MP, Datuk Seri Ismail, is concerned that the amendment could become a gag order and hopes it will not be used to cover up or defend individual or governmental misconduct.

Pasir Mas MP, Ahmad Fadhli, believes this amendment will reduce national freedom of speech and human rights freedom.

He mentioned that the amendment would grant the minister the power to become both 'judge' and executor.

Additionally, Alor Setar MP, Afnan, questioned whether the amendment, which changes the term 'evil' (jelik) to 'extremely evil' (jelik melampau) under Section 233(1), would be used to curb freedom of speech.