SHAH ALAM - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that obstructing discussions involving the 3R issues (religion, royalty, and race) is tantamount to denying freedom of speech.
He said that if the government wants to make it a crime, it must be debated and approved by the Dewan Rakyat, Dewan Negara, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or approved after two months.
"If this is not done, the government may be accused of doing something that is not in accordance with the laws of the country," he said in a Facebook post today.
Dr Mahathir was commenting on the recent police investigation into several politicians, including himself, for allegedly making seditious remarks about the 3R issues.
He said that the government should not obstruct discussions about these issues, as they are essential for the country.
"If discussions related to Malays are interpreted as touching on 'race,' and discussions related to multiracial issues also touch on 'race.' Why can discussions on multiple races touch on it, but one race (Malays) cannot?" he questioned.
He also said that the government should not obstruct discussions about religious issues and secularism.
"Secularism means that there cannot be an official religion. This means we are talking about an official religion.
"Why is rejecting an official religion allowed to be discussed, but maintaining an official religion cannot be touched?" he questioned.
Dr Mahathir also stressed that the institution of the monarchy should also be taken seriously because the monarchy is subject to the law.
"A court is established for the monarch. This means that if the monarch does something contrary to the law, action can be taken. This legislation exists for specific cases," he explained.