The Attorney-General’s Chambars has withdrew the sedition charge against DAP lawmaker Teresa Kok over her ‘Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014’ video. Kok expressed gratitude but said she should not have been charged at all. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, November 20, 2015. The Attorney-General's Chambers today withdrew the sedition charge against DAP lawmaker Teresa Kok for her “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014” satire last year.
Kok expressed her gratitude to Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, but added that from the outset, she should not have been charged at all as there was no justifiable basis.
Kok said her right to freedom of speech was violated when she was charged in May last year.
“It is also crystal clear that the video was a satire and was innocuous and harmed no one, or any section of our community in Malaysia and hence it was not seditious,” she said in a statement.
In an interview with The Malaysian Insider last week, Apandi said he was reviewing sedition charges and investigations on a case-by-case basis, and would most likely withdraw one against an opposition member “very soon”.
But he did not name the opposition lawmaker.
Kok said many civil society groups including Human Rights Watch expressed grave concern and demanded that the charge against her be dropped many times before, but they were ignored by the then A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.
Kok, the Seputeh MP, now urged Apandi to immediately drop all sedition charges against, among others, DAP's Seri Delima assemblyman R. S. N. Rayer, law lecturer Azmi Sharom, cartoonist Zunar, activist Hishamuddin Rais and DAP's Tanjong MP Ng Wei Aik.
"At this time of financial uncertainties facing the nation, Najib (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak) ought to be focusing and channelling his resources to arresting the severe drop of the Ringgit and our economic fundamentals and not indulging in such frivolous actions against public dissent and the voice of the opposition," she added.
Kok was charged under the Sedition Act for her controversial 11-minute satirical clip during Chinese New Year last year which was titled, “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014”.
The video caused a stir among government supporters who saw it as an affront to Malaysia and its leaders, culminating in violent threats against her. – November 20, 2015.
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