Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced that the Sedition Act 1948 will be maintained and strengthened.

In his keynote address at the 68th UMNO general assembly, Najib said the decision was taken after consulting various parties.

He stressed that the Act is necessary to protect the sanctity of all religions.

He said the Act will also be used against those who called for the secession of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia.

“We will include special provisions to preserve the sanctity of Islam as well as other religions. This is so that action can be taken on anyone calling for the separation of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia,” the UMNO president said.

Yesterday, UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin had called on the Sedition Act to be retained, adding that the Act would serve as a protection to all races in the country.

“Umno Youth urges that no matter what happens to the Sedition Act, with whatever new name that it assumes, we want the powers vested in this law to be retained in some ways as a shield for all. Without it to protect us, the nation would be in ruins,” Khairy said in his speech at the party’s AGM yesterday.