SUARA Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) is appalled by the statement by Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on the Sedition Act 1948 and calls for the government to reinstate the moratorium on the Act. (“Prudent use of Sedition Act will continue until it is repealed”, Nation, The Star, March 20; bit.ly/star_sedition.)

The Sedition Act 1948 is a draconian law introduced by the colonial government to suppress political dissidence. Under Barisan Nasional, it was abused to silence political opponents, human rights activists and others who voiced out against the injustice perpetrated by BN.