Minister slams US over NYT's Najib article
MalaysiaKini.com
Oct 8, 2014

A minister today slammed the United States for "double standards" over a New York Times report criticising Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak over the recent crackdown under the Sedition Act.

Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the US' Patriot Act was no different.

"The Americans have been practising double standards. the Patriot Act is as draconian as any law that they criticise," he told journalists at the Parliament lobby this morning.

The Patriot Act is a counter-terrorism law that allows the US government to tap phone calls and conduct surveillance on terrorist suspects.

The New York Times in an opinion piece on Monday called Najib's crackdown a "deplorable attack on free speech and a serious threat to democracy".

Abdul Rahman said whether the Sedition Act is maintained or repealed, the BN government has received the rakyat's mandate to make the decision.

"Every five years, despite the promises made by Pakatan Rakyat in their manifesto to do away with any draconian law, the people still vote in BN as government.

"We know what Malaysians want. They want security guaranteed by the government. They want to live in peace with all races in the country," he added.

However, he stressed that the government under Najib is open to criticism.

He also reiterated that the government is still open to input from all sides on deciding whether the Sedition Act should be abolished or not.

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