SEDITION ACT SCRIPT NAT — from human rights lawyer. SOT - AZMI SHAROM 00;11;28;20 This is clearly the government using a law to stifle dissent. // We won’t argue with you. We’ll just shut you up. And this shows our power, this shows our vitality, this shows that we are still defenders of the Malay race (DO WE NEED THE REST OF THIS??? TOO LONG BITE, AND IN MALAY, TO OPEN PIECE - COULD CUT FROM HERE) 00;14;17;04 all that kind of political rubbish. VO At a recent rally in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, several hundred lawyers, activists and students turned up to protest against the Sedition Act. NAT - Mahasiswa song. The colonial-era law criminalizes speech against the government, the judiciary and the royal family. NAT BREAK VO The rising frustration with the sedition act, comes AS Malaysia recently secured a United Nations security council seat. SOT — TV Newscaster CUT Malaysia... blah blah.. UN security council seat. SOT — FOREIGN MINISTER ON TV: DATUK SERI ANIFAH AMAN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyIj5ILcWuQ 1:45 It is my hope that Malaysia’s election to the UNSC will unite all Malaysians. CUT — particularly as we pursue the realm of international peace and security as a member of the security council. VO But as the government continues to promote Malaysia as a progressive, Islamic, friend to the west, its actions within the country have raised concerns to human rights and free speech advocates. The Sedition Act was created ALMOST A DECADE BEFORE THE COUNTRY’S INDEPENDENCE from the United Kingdom IN 1957. It is still used in other commonwealth countries like India and NEIGHBORING Singapore. But in Malaysia, WHERE POLITICS HAVE LONG BEEN DIVIDED ALONG RACE AND RELIGIOUS LINES, its use has accelerated in the past two years. More than 20 have been charged and more than a dozen others investigated. They consist of politicians, activists, academics and students. Law professor Azmi Sharom is one of them. NAT - AZMI AT THE ANTI-SEDITION ACT RALLY - Azmi: “Wow, there are diplomats here? LAUGH” Foreign Diplomat: “We have a getaway car ready. Stay close. LAUGH.” VO The Malaysian constitution GUARANTEES free speech yet the government sometimes restricts it using the sedition act, citing national security. Mr. Azmi was charged for speaking against a federal court decision to a news organization. SOT - AZMI SHAROM CUT They say I’m committing sedition? It doesn’t make sense to me. START FROM HERE — If you take their definition of sedition now, you can’t criticize judicial decisions, you can’t criticize the government, you can’t even be rude to the government. I mean you know, I mean it’s insane. It’s absolutely insane! 00;12;59;14 VO If found guilty he could spend UP TO three years in prison. Mr. Azmi and his lawyers are working on challenging the constitutionality of the sedition act. NAT — Reform! Reform! Critics also claim that the government is selective enforcing other laws to target political foes. Former deputy prime minister AND OPPOSITION LEADER Anwar Ibrahim is facing trial for sodomy, a punishable crime in Malaysia. Mr. Anwar has maintained that the case against him is politically motivated and meant to stiffle dissent against the government. As for the sedition act, Prime Minister Najib Razak has on several occassions promised to repeal it. However it still remains. Mr. Najib’s critics say it contradicts with the image that his government is trying to project globally. NAT — OBAMA AND PM NAJIB AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN MALAYSIA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_8ENC7ASHg PM Najib: 42:12 Be assured that Malaysia is committed to the rule of law, to the independence of judiciary and to civil liberties. SOT —AZMI 00;19;02;19 (WE CAN TRIM THE QUOTE BELOW) CUT the government can be fairly schizophrenic. They put forward a completely different face when they’re speaking at the UN or when they’re speaking at Davos or any international gathering. (CUT - And when you listen to their speeches 00;19;25;19 if you read them you’re thinking oh my goodness, this is a very enlighten progressive government.) But what they actually do at home is a completely different thing. And the trouble is the world leaders buy it. 00;19;37;28 They buy into this deception. And to portray us as being this fantastic beacon, is not just feeding the egos of these rulers, it’s also inaccurate. 00;19;57;28