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2013 MarsdenLR 474

COURT OF APPEAL PUTRAJAYA
MAT SHUHAIMI SHAFIEI – Appellant
Versus
PP – Respondent
[Criminal Appeal No: B-09-212-09-2011]



The Sedition Act 1948's provisions do not infringe upon constitutional rights, as freedom of speech is subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order.

Headnote:(A) Sedition Act 1948 - Section 4(1)(c) - Federal Constitution - Articles 4, 10 and 8 - Charge against appellant for publishing seditious material on a blog - Appellant contested the constitutionality of the Sedition Act's provisions, alleging violations of freedom of speech and equality rights under the Constitution. The courts uphold the Sedition Act, emphasizing the burden of proof rests on the challenger to demonstrate unconstitutionality. The court found the law to be constitutional and not an unreasonable restriction on freedom of speech. (Paras 1, 10, 17, 106, 116)

(B) Presumption of constitutionality - Courts are to presume existing laws are constitutional until proven otherwise. (Paras 12, 26)

(C) Freedom of speech - Not an absolute right; restrictions must be reasonable and proportionate. (Paras 27, 101, 102)

(D) Discretion of Attorney General - The court does not have the authority to question the prosecutorial discretion of the Attorney General. (Paras 61, 67)

Facts of the case:
The appellant was charged under the Sedition Act for publishing seditious views pertaining to governance on his blog. He contended that the law impedes free speech and is politically biased.

Findings of Court:
The court ruled that the Sedition Act is constitutional and does not infringe upon the appellant's rights under the Constitution.

Issues: The main issues were whether the Sedition Act is unconstitutional and if the provisions infringe on the right to freedom of speech and equal protection under the law.

Ratio Decidendi: The court determined that the Sedition Act serves a legitimate government purpose in maintaining public order and that the presumption of constitutionality favors existing laws, necessitating a stringent standard for claims of unconstitutionality.

Result: Appeal dismissed.

Table of Content
1. charge details and seditious content (Para 1 , 1 , 2)
2. appellant's trial and applications (Para 3 , 4 , 5 , 6)
3. constitutional challenge basis (Para 7 , 8)
4. appellant's claims and the procedural context. (Para 9)
5. presumption of constitutionality (Para 10 , 11)
6. presumption of constitutionality in legal challenges. (Para 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 17)
7. arguments on freedom of expression (Para 18 , 19)
8. balancing freedom of speech with societal order. (Para 26 , 30 , 35 , 38)
9. reasonableness and proportionality tests (Para 39 , 53 , 90)
10. discretion of the attorney general in prosecutions. (Para 54 , 57 , 60 , 61 , 65)
11. judicial interpretation should uphold existing laws. (Para 66 , 67 , 68 , 69)
12. proportionality test under constitutional scrutiny. (Para 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83)
13. reasonableness and scope of the sedition act. (Para 91 , 92 , 93 , 94)
14. conclusion on the sedition act (Para 101)
15. conclusion on the constitutionality of the sedition act. (Para 106 , 107 , 116)

[1] The Public Prosecutor preferred a charge against the appellant before the Sessions Court at Shah Alam for an offence under s 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948 (Act 15) (hereinafter referred to as "the Sedition Act"). The charge reads as follows:

"Bahawa kamu pada 30 Disember 2010, di Pusat Khidmat Rakyat, 6/2, Jalan Anggerik Vanilla R 31/R, Kota Kemuning, 40460 Shah Alam di dalam negeri Selangor Darul Ehsan, telah menerbitkan satu penerbitan menghasut di laman web srimuda.blogspot yang mempunyai alamat web http:// srimuda.blogspot.com satu artikel bertajuk "Pandangan saya berasaskan Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri Selangor 1959" seperti Lampiran "A" yang mengandungi ayat-ayat yang menghasut seperti yang digariskan; dan oleh yang demikian kamu telah melakukan satu kesalahan di bawah s 4(1)(c) Akta Hasutan 1948 (Akta 15) yang boleh dihukum di bawah s 4(1) Akta yang sama."

[2] "Lampiran A" as alluded to in the charge contained the views of the appellant in relation to the Laws of the Constitution of Selangor 1959 which were said to be seditious and particular emphasis was made in regard to the underlined portions of the appellant's views in "Lampiran A" and, for convenience, we will now reproduce the underlined portions in its original Malay language text:

"Mengapa di peringkat persekutuan SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong perlu bertindak mengikut nasihat YAB Perdana Menteri dalam perkara yang secara tersurat tidak pula menyebut baginda perlu mendapat nasihat YAB Perdana Menteri tetapi di Negeri Selangor, seolah-olah DYMM Sultan Selangor boleh bertindak tanpa mendapat nasihat YAB Dato' Menteri Besar hanya dengan alasan bahawa peruntukan undang-undang tubuh tidak menyatakan secara jelas baginda perlu merujuk kepada YAB Dato' Menteri Besar? Adakah SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong sahaja Raja Berperlembagaan di dalam negara ini?

Begitu juga dalam pelantikan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri yang lain. Mengikut amalan dan konvensyen, ianya akan dirujuk dan dibincangkan antara Ketua Negeri dan Ketua Kerajaan. Tetapi, apabila Negeri Selangor yang diperintah Pakatan Rakyat, amalan dan konvensyen ini tidak dibuat. Saya yakin dan percaya rakyat Selangor mahu YAB Dato' Menteri Besarnya dihormati oleh semua pihak termasuk pihak istana. Rakyat akan menolak sebarang tindakan 'beraja di mata, bersultan di hati' oleh mana-mana pihak yang bertindak sewenang-wenangnya, tidak kira sama ada oleh raja yang berjiwa rakyat atau rakyat yang berjiwa raja.

Janganlah kerana hendak menegakkan benang yang basah, institusi negeri yang dihormati rakyat dijadikan perkakas oleh mana-mana pihak berkepentingan. Saya meneliti juga kenyataan Setiausaha Sulit tersebut yang menyatakan baginda DYMM Sultan Selangor seorang sultan yang tegas dan tidak berganjak dari keputusan yang telah dibuat. Bagaimana sekiranya keputusan yang dibuat atau cara keputusan itu dibuat adalah salah? Adakah baginda masih tidak akan berganjak? Harapan saya supaya ketegasan tidak dikelirukan dengan ego.

Dalam sejarah t

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