Home minister refutes Sedition Act allegations, dismisses claims of arbitrary enforcement

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail refuted claims that the Madani government is arbitrarily using the Sedition Act 1948 [Act 15] against the public.

He clarified that such allegations are not true as there has been no surge in cases investigated under the Act since 2015.

“‘Arbitrarily’ implies a sharp spike in cases, but the data does not reflect that. There were only three years where the number of investigation papers opened exceeded 100.

This was in 2023 with 120 cases, 117 in 2020, and 109 in 2015. The figures are relatively consistent, so the claim of arbitrary use does not hold,” he said during the winding-up session of the Royal Address debate for the Home Ministry (KDN) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

On prosecutions, Saifuddin Nasution noted that of the 109 investigation papers opened in 2015, only eight cases were brought to court.

“In 2020, 30 cases out of 117 investigations were prosecuted. Last year, eight cases out of 94 investigations were also brought to court. So let’s put an end to the claim of arbitrary enforcement. It is simply not true,” he said.

He explained that offences under the Act include acts that insult or undermine the dignity and position of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as well as religiously sensitive remarks that could incite racial tensions and disrupt national harmony.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution emphasised that the Madani government upholds the right to peaceful assembly as enshrined in Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution, with 99 per cent of the 7,000 assembly notifications received last year proceeding without obstruction.

In 2023, the police received nearly 10,000 notifications for peaceful assemblies, with 98 per cent taking place without restrictions.

“As part of our reforms to the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, we are proposing amendments to require only notification from organisers, without the need for approval from venue owners,” he said.

Meanwhile, he noted that tourists from China and India spent over RM20 billion last year following the government’s implementation of the Visa Liberalisation Plan, which granted visa exemptions to visitors from both countries for a specified period.

Between December 1, 2023, and December 15, 2024, Chinese tourists contributed RM16 billion, while Indian tourists accounted for RM4.3 billion, he said.

“The role of the Home Ministry is also to ensure the safety of tourists. We have increased patrols in popular tourist areas, installed more CCTV cameras at major attractions, and deployed additional tourist police,” he added. — Bernama