Teresa Kok sedition charge a 'new low'

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Charging opposition leader Teresa Kok over a satire video is a "new low" for Malaysia and an "international embarrassment", says an international rights NGO.

"The Malaysian authorities are setting a new low for violating free expression by bringing criminal charges against an opposition politician in a satirical video.

"The government is obviously not serious about its commitment to revoke the antiquated and abusive Sedition Act," said Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson in a statement today.

He reminded Prime Minister Najib Razak of his promise on several occasions, notably during the 13th general election, to repeal what the PM himself has said was from a "bygone era".

Robertson said despite this, the law is still being used for "political reasons".

"The case against Teresa Kok is just the latest instance of a senior opposition politician being hauled up on arbitrary charges for simply being an opposition politician," Robertson said.

"Prosecutors should save the government international embarrassment by dropping this case immediately."

Kok was scheduled to go to case management today over her Chinese New Year satire 'Onederful Malaysia' that poked fun at serious national issues such as corruption, rising living costs and security threats.

The DAP Seputeh MP maintains her video was meant to raise awareness of important issues facing the country.

She is the second DAP leader to be charged with sedition in a year, after the late party chairperson Karpal Singh was found guilty of sedition over his legal opinion on the controversial Perak takeover of 2008.

PKR vice president Tian Chua has also been charged with sedition for comments on the Sabah intrusion of 2013.

Critics including the Malaysian Human Rights Commission ( Suhakam ) have pointed out that sedition charges are swiftly brought upon opposition leaders but others have been spared.

Case postponed over application

Meanwhile Kok's lawyer Sankara Nair told Malaysiakini that the case management at the Sessions Court today has been postponed as the defence is applying for the case to be transferred to the High Court.

He said they are citing two grounds for the application.

Firstly they want the maximum level of appeal to be at the Federal Court level, which will be the case if it is heard at the High Court.

The final appeal if heard at the Sessions Court would only be at Court of Appeal.

Secondly, the case involves a constitutional issue, and the High Court is the appropriate court to decide on matters relating to the constitution.

Therefore the case has been postponed to Sept 2 for hearing of the application at the Sessions Court, pending a formal application to be made.-Mkini

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