Sedition Act probe does not take one's 'intention' into account – Azalina
Once such a statement is made, the offence is considered to have already occurred, regardless of the speaker’s intention.
KUALA LUMPUR - Umno Information Chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman said that the Sedition Act 1948 does not consider the intention behind a person making a sensitive statement.
She said that, under the Sedition Act, once such a statement is made, the offence is considered to have already occurred, regardless of the speaker’s intention.
“In my view, the Sedition Act is a very high-level law. How do you explain your intention? Is intention seen as a defence under the Sedition Act?
“That depends on the police. I cannot answer what the intention was; only the person who uttered it knows their intention,” she said.
Azalina highlighted that before establishing the unity government between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah took great care to ensure the power entrusted to him was not misused.
The King held individual meetings with each Member of Parliament who supported the decision.
“In this case, we were summoned by the Agong. He needed to be satisfied with this matter; it was the Agong’s discretion. He really wanted to ensure that he did not exceed the powers given to him.
“Muhyiddin should respect the process that has already been completed and accept it openly. Just contest in the next election; there is no harm, as we are a democratic country. We have three years left, so just contest (in future elections),” she said.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) also said that Muhyiddin should emulate Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“When I was the Deputy Speaker in the Dewan Rakyat, I had asked Anwar about Muhyiddin being appointed to the top post following the Sheraton Move, which led to the collapse of the PH government.
“He told me that on behalf of PH, they accepted the King’s decision to appoint Muhyiddin as Prime Minister, and that was gentlemanly of him.
“Anwar had also accepted the King’s decision to appoint Muhyiddin’s successor, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in the past,” he said.
During a campaign leading up to the Nenggiri by-election, Muhyiddin claimed that despite securing the majority needed to form a government after the 15th general election, he was not chosen by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, to become Prime Minister.
His comments sparked a police investigation for allegedly addressing sensitive issues related to race, religion and royalty (3Rs).
This followed 29 police reports filed against him and a reprimand from the Pahang crown prince Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah who accused Muhyiddin of disparaging Sultan Abdullah.
In response, Muhyiddin provided the police with documents, including 115 statutory declarations, to support his claim of having the necessary backing to be the Prime Minister.
