FREEDOM OF SPEECH Razak seeks to impose limits

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32540, 25 February 1971, Page 11

FREEDOM OF SPEECH Razak seeks to impose limits

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

KUALA LUMPUR, February 23.

The Prime Minister (Tun Abdul Razak) today presented to Parliament constitutional amendments which would ban discussion of sensitive racial issues. It would be the first express measure to deprive Malaysians of full freedom of speech.

Tun Razak told Parliament that the legislation should prevent “unscrupulous elements" from exploiting sensitive issues and creating further racial trouble.

Parliament, suspended 21 months ago because of clashes between Malays and Chinese, was reconvened on Saturday—the day after the emergency National Operations Council was dissolved. Under the proposed Constitutional amendments, individuals inside and outside Parliament would not be able to question the soundness of a number of policies—special privileges for Malays, Malay as the sole official language, citizenship rights of noncitizens, and the sultanate system. The penalty would be a fine of up to JMalaysian 5000 or two years in gaol. Tun Razak 1 has said that his party has more than the two-thirds majority needed in the 144-seat De wan Raayat

(house of representatives) to pass the legislation. In presenting the proposed amendments, Tun Razak warned the house: “The lessons of May 13 (the riots) must never be forgotten. Let us not debate and dispute about what started it or how it happened, lest debating and disputing among ourselves, we shall lose sight of the common enemy.” Tun Razak described the “common enemy” as the “irresponsible elements” who had exploited racial issues and created the riots. Debate on the move was expected to last several days.

The amendments were seconded by the Finance Minister (Tan Siew Sin) who is president of the Malaysian Chinese Association, the Chinese wing of Tun Razak’s ruling Alliance Party, The Democratic Action Party has said that it would oppose the legislation in its present form, but there was no indication exactly what changes it wanted.