The Malaysian High Court has issued a ruling that confirms the virtual eradication of free speech rights in that country, one of our closest allies in Asia. The Court upheld an absurd edict from Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi banning T-shirts with the word “clean” in Malay as a national security threat. That’s right. A t-shirt calling for clean government has been declared a threat to national security and High Court Judge Muhammad Yazid Mustafa has declared that there is nothing preventing the government from barring such speech. The t-shirts were a response to reports that nearly $700 million had been deposited in the personal bank account of Prime Minister Najib Razak (left).
In a showing of courage (and proof that there remain Malaysians who value free speech), thousands are defying the government. To do so however risks arrest.
The T-shirts say “Bersih 4,” the name of an antigovernment demonstration in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, last August. The t-shirts are an embarrassing reminder of the $700 million deposited in the personal bank account of Najib. The government put forward a rather curious explanation that it was nothing more than a donation from undisclosed Saudi royalty. That would not seem a satisfying explanation for a political leader. The money reportedly came from companies linked to a sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB. Najib then used his authority to scuttle government investigations, including removing the attorney general before he could conclude his investigation and firing a deputy prime minister who questioned the transactions.
A government spokesman is quoted as assuring citizens that “The reality in Malaysia is that there is freedom of expression without fear of prosecution. Online and in print, the media is freer than it has ever been.” That is a rather bizarre statement when you are arresting people for wearing a t-shirt calling for clean government.
And if he doesn’t no matter…he’$ got 100 percent of the house to replace half though….and an angry populas…..who could impeach him. So he plays with fire. Sessions knows this and that the flame is for restoration and greatness again. I trust “trump” because i trust my country men.
Can’t wait for them to be our sovereign with a twelve vote…..tpp. But trump willl trump such nonsense.
Malaysians have much more to worry about than clean government. Clean air for one – I was in Kuala Lumpur last year, where the air quality makes the worst smog day in LA seem like a clean room.
High Court! Low Court!
What ya gonna do?
Don’t you wear that tee shirt…
Mountain Dew.
Soon to be member of tpp? With representatives on the council…..america should be able to influence this nonsense. Wishful thinking. ..instead the tpp council will be an excuse to ban stuff here. This is what our “representatives” fast tracked…..while they chanted ” rubber stamp” to hatch last year. Treasonous traitors.
Lessons in Censorship: how schools and the courts subvert students’ first amendment rights
By Catherine J. Ross.
Harvard. 356 pp. $39.95.
Positively reviewed in the 2016 Feb 29 issue of The Nation.
Well, speaking of prosecutors trying to criminalize silly things, does anybody remember poor old Rick Perry, and the dirty dog Texas democrats who tried to railroad him with those silly-a$$ extortion charges???
He just got the charges dismissed!
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/appeals-court-dismisses-rick-perrys-criminal-case/nqXG5/
Sooo, ITYS!!! FWIW, Here is a link to the old thread here where sooo many stupid liberals supported the charges and confirmed their obvious lack of intelligence, and miniscule understanding of American Jurisprudence:
https://jonathanturley.org/2014/08/16/texas-rick-perry-indicted-on-abuse-of-power-charges/
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” – US President John F. Kennedy.
I wish it weren’t so …
Doesn’t it seem like the trend is the erosion of Free Speech globally? Even in the US, there are efforts to restrict speech (such as Hillary Clinton’s anti-blasphemy law attempts).
Project this trend forward 300 years, I wonder what the world will look like…
Of course there won’t be a word from Washington on this. Perhaps we could cut off or reduce the trade imbalance for such a deprivation?
https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5570.html
“Deutschland! Deutschland, uber alles!”
oops. wrong dictator.
It seems the only way to tell nation-states apart anymore is by how well they hide their corruption. First world governments hide it very well while third world don’t bother trying to hide it anymore. Our ranking would not qualify as first world.
US government is doing the same thing…why is this news??? Resistance is futile – you will be assimilated! Weren’t any of you paying attention to Patrick Stewart?
I can see their point. If their is clean government you do not get those big donations (read bribes). Clearly a national threat.