Press Statement On-going politically-motivated cases must be urgently reviewed by the Solicitor-General 21 May 2018 Lawyers for Liberty wishes to remind the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government and the Solicitor-General (who is currently heading the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) pending the appointment of the new AG) of the urgent need to review the numerous politically-motivated cases that…
Press Statement MCMC must unblock all websites previously restricted due to political motivation 17 May 2018 Lawyers for Liberty notes with concern that websites that were previously blocked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) during the tenure of former Prime Minister Najib Razak for their political content remain blocked today. As in any…
Press Statement Lodging police reports in defence of Dr Mahathir not conducive to democratic change 17 May 2018 Lawyers for Liberty notes with concern the recent increase in police reports being lodged by concerned individuals and pro-government NGOs against offensive statements made on social media targeting the new Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Such police…
Press Statement Immigration travel ban on suspects in criminal probes is justified 16 May 2018 Lawyers for Liberty notes the concern over the overseas travel blacklisting of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, Rosmah Mansor, and other former high-ranking officials of the previous administration by the Immigration Department. The Immigration Department is a law enforcement agency,…
Press Statement The new Attorney-General must be independent of party politics 13 May 2018 Lawyers for Liberty notes the impending appointment of the new Attorney-General (AG) and wishes to remind the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government that the AG must transcend party politics. Although we have pointed out previously that the AG is a political appointee,…
Press Statement Pakatan Harapan’s watershed victory must be followed by institutional and human rights reform 11 May 2018 Lawyers for Liberty wishes to congratulate the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and their Parti Warisan Sabah allies on their historic win in the 14th General Elections on 9 May 2018. With the departure of the Barisan Nasional (BN)…
1MDB is all the reason you need to vote out Najib and BN Just a few days away from GE14, with Dr Mahathir Mohamad leading the opposition charge towards Putrajaya, one gets the feeling that this will be a momentous occasion for Malaysia. Older readers may recall a time back in the 1980s and the…
Press Statement Fake news probe on Mahathir proves public concern over the dangers of the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 3 May 2018 I refer to the fake news probe on Opposition PM candidate Tun Mahathir over his complaint that his flight was sabotaged. The probe upon Mahathir is beyond the scope of the Anti-Fake News…
Press Statement Stop all prosecutions under the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 pending outcome of test case 30 April 2018 I refer to news reports that a Danish man is to be charged today under the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 ( AFN 2018). The legal challenge to the constitutionality and validity of the AFN 2018 is…
Press Statement Tian Chua’s disqualification as Batu candidate is unlawful & outrageous 28 April 2018 I refer to this morning’s disqualification by the EC of Tian Chua, PKR’s candidate for Batu. The returning officer purported to disqualify Tian on grounds of a conviction under s 509 of Penal Code which carried an RM 2000 fine. The…
Stealing GE14 A couple of weeks away from GE14, Malaysians are finally coming to terms with the lengths the Barisan Nasional (BN) government will go to ensure that they come out on top once again. Sensing a renewed Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition challenge under the leadership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister Najib Razak and…
Press Statement MCMC sending unsolicited message to mobile phone users is an abuse of their power as regulator 26 April 2018 Lawyers for Liberty view with concern the recent SMS blast by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) exhorting Malaysians to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA 1998). As…
A boatful of hope for Rohingya refugees in Malaysia Often called the most friendless people in the world, the recent interception of 56 Rohingya refugees on a boat off the island of Langkawi is the latest entry in their never-ending saga. Forced out of their homes in Rakhine State, Myanmar under a slow genocide, their…
In his official letter to the Malaysian government dated 3 April 2018, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye expresses his concerns on the Anti-Fake News Bill 2018, addressing the issues of vagueness, disproportionate penalties imposed upon offenders, extraterritorial application, and the drafting…
How to not draft a Fake News Law Jumping on the Donald Trump ‘fake news’ bandwagon, Law Minister Azalina Othman announced on 30 January 2018, the formation of a special committee to look into new legislation to curb fake news that could threaten political stability, public order and national security. Her announcement came on the…