Kuala Lumpur: Punitive action may be a better way to deal with issues related to race, religion and royalty, commonly known as 3R, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said.
It was easier to take punitive action, such as issuing fines, she said compared to charging the offenders under the Sedition Act.
Azalina said that it was sometimes difficult to determine if an action ran afoul of the Sedition Act or another offence under the Penal Code.
“This makes it harder to charge and convict someone.
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“But if we take punitive action, someone would just be fined,” she said after a forum at Menara Dato’ Onn, here.
She also proposed a specific law similar to the ones in Singapore and Australia that safeguard the harmony in a multicultural society.
Singapore has the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act 1990 while Australia has the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.
“The burden of proof is not as high as compared to a criminal case.”
Such a law would also be vital to ensure that the authorities would be able to distinguish between mischief and criminal intent when investigating cases related to 3R, Azalina said.
On Tuesday, the government issued a “final warning” to those playing up 3R issues.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had been informed by the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission that they were monitoring everyone, regardless of race, religion or social status.
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