FREEDOM OF SPEECH / FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION


FREEDOM OF SPEECH / FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak without censorship and/or limitation. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to indicate not only freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used [United Nations, 1966, 1976]. The right to freedom of speech is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The ICCPR recognizes the right to freedom of speech as "the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression". Furthermore freedom of speech is recognized in European, inter-American and African regional human rights law [United Nations, 1966, 1967]. Freedom of speech, or the freedom of expression, is recognized in international and regional human rights law. The right is enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights [Andrew Puddephatt & Hodder Arnold, 2005; Kumar, Ambika, 2006].

In Islamic ethics freedom of speech was first declared in the Rashidun period by the caliph Umar in the 7th century. In the Abbasid Caliphate period, freedom of speech was also declared by al-Hashimi (a cousin of Caliph al-Ma'mun) in a letter to one of the religious opponents he was attempting to convert through reason.

According to George Makdisi and Hugh Goddard, "the idea of academic freedom" in universities was "modelled on Islamic custom" as practiced in the medieval Madrasah system from the 9th century. Islamic influence was "certainly discernible in the foundation of the first deliberately-planned university" in Europe [Boisard, Marcel A., 1980].

* Selected REFERENCES / Sources:

Amnesty International: Annual Reports: URLhttp://www.amnesty.org/ailib/aireport/index.html Andrew Puddephatt & Hodder Arnold. (2005). Freedom of Expression: The Essentials of Human Rights. United Publishers. Boisard, Marcel A. (July 1980), "On the Probable Influence of Islam on Western Public and International Law", International Journal of Middle East Studies 11 (4): 429–50. Goddard, Hugh. (2000). A History of Christian-Muslim Relations. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Kumar, Ambika. (2006). ‘Using Courts to Enforce the Free Speech Provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’ Published by Chicago Journal of International Law. Summer 2006. URLhttp://www.allbusiness.com/corporate-governance/4082846-1.html United Nations: ‘International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’ Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16th December 1966: Entry into force 23 March 1976, in accordance with Article 49. URLhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm (United Nations) Wikipedia. (2010). ‘Freedom of Speech.’ Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. URLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_expression

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03 June 2020

3 Penang Public Prosecutors arrested in RM100,000 bribery probe !


SOURCE:
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/06/02/3-penang-prosecutors-arrested-in-rm100000-bribery-probe/


3 Penang prosecutors arrested in RM100,000 bribery probe

Predeep Nambiar
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GEORGE TOWN: Three deputy public prosecutors in Penang were arrested by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission today after receiving a complaint that they had demanded half a million ringgit in bribes to fix a commercial crime case.
The three men are to be taken to the magistrates court in Alor Setar for a remand order on Tuesday morning.
A source close to the case said the MACC had moved in to lay a trap on one of the prosecutors, by pretending to be an interested party willing to offer RM100,000 for his services.
The prosecutor, who is believed to hold the rank of senior federal counsel, is alleged to have accepted the money, in marked currency notes, from the undercover MACC officers, which led to his immediate arrest.
Two other prosecutors were arrested at the Kedah MACC office in Alor Setar, after they were called in to have their statements taken.
The two men are part of the Attorney-General’s Chambers in Penang. One of them holds “a very senior role”, the source said.
MACC officers later seized items from the prosecutors’ offices and found an undisclosed amount of cash at their homes and other items that could be used against them in the case.
The source said the three could have been running a syndicate to fix cases for “a very long time”.
The MACC received a complaint on May 16 alleging that a prosecutor had asked for RM500,000 “to ensure a successful prosecution” of a particular person.
Kedah MACC chief Shaharom Nizam Abd Manap did not want to comment on the case but confirmed that the three persons had been arrested.

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