“Enacting the new National Harmony Act (NHA) to replace the Sedition Act is yet another important concrete step in the 1Malaysia National Transformation Programme, said Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.”

“While placing emphasis on the mechanism and means to promote, nurture and inculcate goodwill and harmony amongst our diverse racial and religious communities, the NHA should also have provisions to restrain and punish hate language and behavior that hurt feelings and provoke inter-ethnic or inter-religious animosity.”

Describing the NHA as extremely timely, Dr Koh, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of national unity and performance management, emphasised that there should be freedom of expression with responsibility.

“The new act should not stifle positive and constructive criticism of policies and practices in both the public and private sectors which are considered as discriminatory or unfair. But, there are ways to express such criticism without hurting other communities,” Dr Koh pointed out.

“The key is to uphold and practise the spirit of inclusiveness and moderation, as embodied in the 1Malaysia concept,” said Dr Koh who hoped that the NHA would provide a concrete framework and measures to promote the 1Malasyia concept in the context of Rukun Negara.