Sarawak villagers have won their bid to regain native customary land that had been earmarked for the construction of the Baram dam, according to their lawyers. The decision meant that the nearly 20,000 villagers from up to 30 villages will now be allowed to re-enter the land that had previously been gazetted for acquisition under…
News portal The Malaysian Insider (TMI) will cease operations at midnight on Monday, March 14. “Goodbye readers from near and far, and those reading us in Malaysia despite the government block,” TMI chief editor Jahabar Sadiq (pic) wrote in an article on Monday. “The Edge Media Group has decided to shut down The Malaysian Insider…
Press Statement Cease the harassment and unconditionally release both Australian journalists 13 March 2016 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the arrest of Australian journalist Linton Besser and camera operator Louis Eroglu from the ABC Four Corners current affairs show last night in Kuching, Sarawak. Although both of them have been released, their passports were seized…
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the opposition have signed a declaration calling for the repeal of all recent laws and agreements that violate fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. “We support a restoration of the integrity of the institutions that have been undermined such as the police, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission, Bank…
The Government will “look into” a statement by the Conference of Rulers that some provisions of the National Security Council Bill 2015 should be refined. Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, who had briefed the 240th meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara on the Bill on Tuesday, told Sin Chew Daily that…
Press Statement Migrant workers are in Malaysia to work, not commit crimes or misbehave 17 February 2016 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the rising xenophobic and racist sentiments expressed against the government’s plan to bring in 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers over the next three years. While they are right to question…
Press Statement Federal Court’s compromised justice in S. Deepa’s custodial dispute 11 February 2016 Lawyers for Liberty welcomes the Federal Court ruling yesterday in S. Deepa’s case that the civil court has exclusive jurisdiction to grant divorce, including custody, care and access of children where one spouse has unilaterally converted to Islam. In addition, the…
Press Statement Laws should not be amended or enforced arbitrarily to protect the government 10 February 2016 Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern Attorney General Apandi Ali’s suggestion to amend the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) to include life imprisonment and 10 strokes of the cane as punishment against whistle-blowers and members of…
Press Statement On the one year anniversary of Anwar Ibrahim’s imprisonment 9 February 2016 Tomorrow, 10 February 2016 is the one year anniversary of Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy charge conviction at the Federal Court, after a trial and appeal process that were widely condemned, sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. Anwar’s incarceration at Sungai Buloh prison remains…
The Attorney-General’s Chambers is considering increasing the punishment on those who leak official secrets, said Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali. He said there were increasing cases of official secrets being leaked and reported by the media quoting sources. He said the Chambers was looking into amending the Official Secrets Act 1972 to punish those…
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…