Human Rights Watch says Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali's proposal to strengthen the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) is an assault on freedom of expression. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 8, 2016.Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali has become the prime minister's legal hitman with the aim of intimidating would-be whistleblowers who could expose corruption within the government, an international human rights body said.
Human Rights Watch deputy director for Asia Phil Robertson (pic, right) said this when commenting on news reports that Apandi was considering strengthening the archaic Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA).
"Attorney-General Apandi is lurching from one human rights abusing policy to another, trying desperately to enforce an artificial silence on society to protect the failing political fortunes of his boss, Prime Minister Najib.
"In the process, he's become Najib's legal hitman, aiming to intimidate would-be whistleblowers who could expose government corruption and abuse," Robertson told The Malaysian Insider in an email today.
He added that Apandi's proposal was an assault on freedom of expression and should be rubbished by all Malaysians and members of the international community who cared about the country's human rights.
"The question that needs to be answered is – why do the Malaysian people have to keep paying with their human rights to preserve Najib's skin?
"This latest is an outrageous assault on freedom of expression that should be rubbished by the wider Malaysian society and the international community who care about maintaining Malaysia as a rights-respecting democracy," Robertson said.
The top prosecutor had also reportedly said OSA could be used against journalists who protected their sources by invoking journalistic ethics, and that the media personnel could be considered as collaborating with potential saboteurs.
"We may charge the journalist who refuse to reveal the sources.
"I am not joking. If I have 90% of evidence, I will charge journalist, editor, assistant editor and editor-in-chief. I am serious, not kidding. We have too many leakage of secrets in Malaysia," Apandi was quoted as saying.
The A-G reportedly said this during an interview with Sin Chew Daily, where he also said the A-G's Chambers was looking to amend OSA laws to include life imprisonment and 10 strokes of the rotan as punishment. – February 8, 2016.
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