Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) calls upon the Federal Government to withdraw the Amendment Bill to Sedition Act rather than table it in Dewan Negara. If the Government is adamant to table it, all patriots in Dewan Negara must be present and vote against it.

Standing firm with various civil society groups opposing the bill, GBM condemns in the strongest term the bill which severely curbs civil and political liberties of Malaysians, making our nation’s independence hollow.

GBM asks, how do we celebrate Merdeka if our forefathers and mothers enjoyed more civil and political liberties under the British colonial government than we do today?

The Sedition Act was enacted in 1948 in response to the communist insurgency but was made harsher first by the 1970 amendment and would be even draconian if the 2015 amendment comes to force.

The 2015 amendment poses a grave threat to Malaysians’ freedom in two main ways.

Firstly, the net is cast much wider:

    (a)   the amendment to Section 10  and the addition of Section 10A, impose restrictions on online publication which may include social media
    (b)   the amendment to Section 3(1)(e) and  3(2)(c)(ii) inserts the word “hatred” in addition to the word “ill will” or “hostility” in the original Act and also an additional reference to religion in addition to the reference of race and class in the original Act.
    (c)    The addition of Section 4(1A) which criminalises seditious publications“[leading] to bodily injury and damage to property”, disregarding if such acts of violence are carried out by parties who agree or disagree to the opinion expressed.

Secondly, the punishments are made harsher:

(a)   the amendment to Section 4(1) imposes minimum sentence of 3 years imprisonment upon conviction and eliminates the alternative of fine, with no consideration for young offenders, first time offenders or nature of the offence;

(b)   the addition of Section 5A obliges the judge to allow the prosecution’s application for restriction on travel for the accused on bail;

(c)   the deletion of Section 6 which currently provides for reasonable ground for acquittal of the accused and demands larger effort by the prosecution to prove their case.

The fundamental flaw of the Sedition Act is it disregards intention and hence does not differentiate between agitation of violence and provocation of violence. As the accusation of provocation can be easily made, violence may be effectively encouraged by parties who want to blame others for provocation.

A teenager may be jailed for three years three years for sharing a Facebook posting and or retweeting a tweet if another party who causes bodily injury or property damage and accuses her of provoking.

Instead of promoting social harmony, the Sedition Act risks fostering impunity of violence and encouraging “politics of amok”.

GBM sees the hasty passing of the Amendment to Sedition Act at the wee hours of 2.30 am of 10 April as an utterly irresponsible act of arrogance and tyranny by the Executive.

GBM condemns in the strongest words the 108 parliamentarians who could not wait to destroy our constitutional freedom, censures the 35 absentee parliamentarians who could not be bothered to vote against the bill and 79 real patriots who stand firm to defend the meaning of our independence.

20 April 2015

Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)
Press Release

We refer to the protest by some 50 residents in Taman Medan over the display of a cross on a newly minted church.

This mindless act of hatred and incitement against another religion’s place of worship has no place in Islam and deserves unreserved condemnation.

Islam is rich with examples of respect for other faiths, their adherents and protection of their places of worship.

Let us take heed from the best of examples, the prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. In a well documented incident, the Prophet received a delegation of sixty Christians from Yemen at his mosque in Madina. They were led by a bishop, Abu Haritha ibn Alqamam, a well respected authority on Christianity. When the time for their prayer came, they faced the direction of east and prayed. Some Muslims out of ignorance protested but the Prophet ordered that they be left in their state and not harmed.

Yet another famed example is that of Umar ibn Al-Khattabb, the second righteous caliph. During his reign the religious freedom of the citizens of Ilya (Jerusalem) and the sanctity of their synagogues and places of worship were confirmed: “This is the protection which the slave-servant of Allah, Umar, the Commander of the Believers, extends to the people of Ilya: The safeguarding of their lives, properties, churches, crosses, and of their entire community. Their churches cannot be occupied, demolished, or damaged, nor are their crosses or anything belonging to them to be touched. They will never be forced to abandon their religion, nor will they be oppressed …” (At-Tabari, Tarikh, Vol III, p. 609, ed. Dar Al-Ma`arif, Egypt.)

It is evident that there is no room in Islam for intolerance towards other faiths and their places of worship and any form of disrespect and desecration is antithetical to the essence of Islam. We urge the authorities to take firm action against the said protestors.

Malaysia is a beautifully plural and diverse nation and we call on all to enforce our respect for one another and their beliefs.

We end with the following all embracing verse.

O mankind! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female and We made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Al Hujurat 49:13

Let us put an end to all enmity and hatred and get to know one another.

Board of Directors
MPF

20hb April 2015

Kenyataan Akhbar Forum Profesional Muslim (MPF)

Kami rujuk kepada tunjuk perasaan yang diadakan oleh sejumlah kira-kira 50 orang penduduk Taman Medan yang membantah paparan tanda salib di sebuah gereja yang baru sahaja ditubuhkan secara rasmi.

Tindakan yang merupakan cubaan sengaja menimbulkan kebencian dan tentangan terhadap rumah suci sebuah agama lain sedemikian sama sekali tidak wajar dan tiada tempat dalam agama Islam, malah wajar dikecam sekeras-kerasnya.

Agama Islam cukup kaya dengan pelbagai contoh teladan yang jelas dalam menghormati agama-agama lain, penganut-penganutnya, malah tuntutan untuk bertanggungjawab dalam melindungi tempat-tempat ibadat mereka.

Pengajaran yang terbaik dan paling jelas tentulah daripada junjungan Nabi Muhammad SAW sendiri. Dalam riwayat yang tercatit luas, baginda Rasulullah SAW pada suatu ketika telah menerima kehadiran rombongan 60 orang Kristian dari Yemen di Masjid Nabawi di Madinah. Rombongan terbabit diketuai seorang biskop, Abu Haritha ibn Alqamam, seorang alim yang disegani oleh masyarakat Kristian pada waktu itu. Tibanya waktu solat, mereka bersembahyang dengan berkiblatkan arah timur. Beberapa orang Islam ketika itu bangkit menunjukkan rasa tidak puas hati namun telah ditegah oleh baginda Rasulullah SAW. Mereka diarahkan oleh Baginda untuk membiarkan golongan Kristian terbabit dalam keadaan sedemikian dan tidak diancam.

Satu lagi contoh jelas merupakan khalifah agung Islam yang kedua Sayyidina Umar ibn Al-Khattab RA di mana kebebasan beragama penduduk-penduduk di Ilya (Jerusalem) dan kesucian sinagoga beserta rumah-rumah ibadat mereka cukup jelas terpelihara di bawah pemerintahannya; “Inilah perlindungan yang dipanjangkan oleh hamba Allah, Umar, Khalifah kepada orang-orang beriman, kepada penduduk-penduduk Ilya: yakni perlindungan terhadap nyawa-nyawa, harta-harta, gereja-gereja, salib-salib, dan seluruh kabilah mereka. Gereja-gereja mereka tidak boleh dirampas, dijatuhkan, mahupun dibinasakan, juga tidak ada salib-salib mereka mahupun apa sahaja barangan kepunyaan mereka yang boleh disentuh. Mereka tidak akan sama sekali dipaksa meninggalkan kepercayaan mereka atau pun ditindas…” (At-Tabari, Tarikh, Jilid III, ms. 609, ed. Dar Al-Ma`arif, Mesir.)

Hal ini menjadi bukti bahawa tiada tempat dalam Islam untuk ketidaktoleransian terhadap agama-agama lain dan rumah-rumah ibadat mereka. Sebarang bentuk kebiadapan atau penghinaan terhadap mereka begitu bertentangan sekali dengan initipati ajaran Islam. Kami mendesak pihak berkuasa untuk mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap penunjuk-penunjuk perasaan ini.

Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang cukup cantik dalam kemajmukan dan kepelbagaiannya. Kami menggesa semua pihak untuk meneguhkan lagi sifat hormat-menghormati di antara yang berlainan kepercayaan dengan kita.

Kami sudahkan dengan kalimah daripada Al Quran yang cukup meluas dan mendalam maksudnya, seperti berikut:

Wahai umat manusia! Sesungguhnya Kami telah menciptakan kamu dari lelaki dan perempuan, dan Kami telah menjadikan kamu berbagai bangsa dan bersuku puak, supaya kamu berkenal-kenalan (dan beramah mesra antara satu dengan yang lain). Sesungguhnya semulia-mulia kamu di sisi Allah ialah orang yang lebih taqwanya di antara kamu, (bukan yang lebih keturunan atau bangsanya). Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui, lagi Maha Mendalam PengetahuanNya (akan keadaan dan amalan kamu). (Al Hujurat 49:13)

Marilah sama-sama kita menoktahkan segala bentuk permusuhan sesama kita dan berusaha untuk lebih kenal-mengenali di antara satu sama lain.

Lembaga Pengarah

MPF