The High Court recently held that Jawi’s actions in raiding Borders and seizing copies of an Irshad Manji book were illegal. The bookstore’s day in court reminds us how it falls on citizens to know the law and their rights to prevent state authorities from abusing power.

Suaram apparently poses a grave threat to Malaysia. Why else has the government set six agencies on it? What has Suaram done that is so dangerous to the government? And who, in fact, is truly destabilising the nation through its actions?

Malaysia will be more open and democratic with “revolutionary” new laws that will herald a “new era”, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Really? Has Najib made good on his promises? We take a look at the prime minister’s legacy of legal reforms since Malaysia Day 2011.

THE Security Offences (Special Measures) Bill (Sosma), passed by the Dewan Rakyat on 18 April 2012, will repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) once it comes into effect. The ISA has long been criticised for allowing preventive detention for indefinite periods without trial. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the reform, including the rescinding [...]

ON 1 March 2012, the High Court dismissed Seksualiti Merdeka‘s leave application to judicially review a police ban on their annual festival. The November 2011 festival was banned under section 27A(1)(c) of the Police Act. The section (since superseded by the Peaceful Assembly Act) allowed the police to stop any activity on private premises “likely [...]

THE quest for greater academic freedom for Malaysian university students has seen an eventful past six months. In October 2011, a landmark Court of Appeal decision declared section 15(5)(a) of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) unconstitutional. The section prohibits students from expressing support for, or opposition against, any political party. In November [...]