Press Statement Undemocratic and counterproductive to block critical websites and blogs 28 January 2016 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) heavy handed and liberal use of its powers to block numerous websites and blogs critical of the government, especially on issues concerning 1MDB, corruption and Prime…
Press Statement Reform the Attorney-General’s role and make him accountable to Parliament 27 January 2016 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the actions of Attorney-General Apandi Ali in clearing Prime Minister Najib Razak from any criminal wrongdoing regarding the RM2.6 billion that were channeled into the Prime Minister’s bank accounts and SRC International Sdn…
Press Statement Questionable legality of the National Security Council’s military personnel deployment 21 January 2016 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the recent decision of the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by the Prime Minister that sought to deploy joint patrols of the police and military personnel in public and tourist areas, in…
Press Statement The NSC Bill will not make Malaysia safer from terror attacks 20 January 2015 The #TakNakDiktator Coalition is shocked and appalled at Prime Minister Najib Razak’s opportunistic view when he claimed that the National Security Council (NSC) law would enable the government to deal with terror threats in the country more efficiently in…
A High Court today sentenced Hishamuddin Md Rais to nine months in jail for sedition after allowing the prosecution’s appeal for a more deterrent sentence than the RM5,000 fine the activist was given last year. According to lawyer Syahredzan Johan, the court dismissed Hishamuddin’s appeal on his conviction and allowed the prosecution’s bid to set…
Press Statement Judiciary cannot escape close scrutiny of its conduct and judgments 13 January 2016 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria’s press conference at the 2016 Legal Year event on 8 January 2016 where he was reported to have said that judges can accept genuine criticism, but not name-calling…
Press Statement Abuse of power and overkill to bar Indonesian activist from entering Malaysia 7 January 2016 Lawyers for Liberty is shocked and appalled that prominent Indonesian ‘reformasi’ activist Mugiyanto was barred from entering the country today at KLIA 2 airport and deported back to Indonesia. As no clear reasons were given for…
Press Statement Government must resolve the protracted issue of unilateral religious conversion of children 3 January 2016 We are extremely disappointed that the judiciary has once again failed to uphold the constitutional rights of M. Indira Gandhi, thus leaving non-Muslim individuals in similar predicament with no recourse to justice. On 30 December 2015, the…
Press statement Sedition investigation against Noor Farida is shameful and outrageous 18 December 2015 Lawyers for Liberty is outraged at the latest sedition investigation against G25 spokesperson Noor Farida, for her call for legal reform of the Syariah laws concerning khalwat (close proximity). The sedition investigation on Noor Farida is a clear example of the…
Press Statement Focus on the National Security Council Bill 17 December 2015 Civil society engagement with lawmakers is an important part of the democratic process that must be recognised and respected by parliamentarians and senators alike. At a time when the nation is facing its greatest challenge with the National Security Council Bill…
Press Statement Peaceful Assembly Act prohibition of “street protest” challenged 17 December 2015 Accused persons for two Peaceful Assembly Act cases have filed applications under section 30 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 to refer a constitutional question to the Kuala Lumpur High Court. The applications were filed this afternoon at about 2:30 pm at…
MEMORANDUM TO MEMBERS OF DEWAN NEGARA ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL BILL 2015 15th December 2015 Malaysian civil society organisations view with serious concern the National Security Council Bill 2015 (NSC Bill) that was rushed through Dewan Rakyat on 3rd December 2015. This Bill has dire consequences for the people of Malaysia and represents an…
MEMORANDUM KEPADA AHLI-AHLI DEWAN NEGARA BERKENAAN DENGAN RANG UNDANG-UNDANG MAJLIS KESELAMATAN NEGARA 2015 15 DISEMBER 2015 Masyarakat sivil memandang berat Rang Undang-Undang Majlis Keselamatan Negara 2015 (Rang Undang-Undang MKN) yang diluluskan secara tergesa-gesa di Dewan Rakyat pada 3 Disember 2015. Rang Undang-Undang ini memberi kesan yang buruk kepada rakyat Malaysia dan merupakan ancaman yang belum…
Press statement Threats of violence against women must not be tolerated 12 December 2015 Lawyers for Liberty is appalled by news of an individual Sharul Nizam Ab Rahim who made a Facebook posting threatening to break into the home and sexually assault G25 spokesperson Noor Farida Ariffin over her views on privacy and Syariah law.…
Commentary A bleak Human Rights Day for Malaysia, again On this Human Rights Day on 10th December which commemorates the day, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Malaysia once again has very little to celebrate. The nation’s human rights status in 2015 is nothing short of deplorable, probably the worst since the height…