KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said no time frame has been set to repeal the Sedition Act 1948.
He said in order for any Act to be repealed, it must be tabled in Parliament and this takes time.
For now, Dr Mahathir said the government does not possess a two-third majority in Parliament and this means it will take time for the Act to be repealed.
"We cannot give a certain time frame. We have a number of laws that need to be either repealed or amended, so this takes time.
"This is because the Attorney-General (AG) must review all new laws, and some of them involve the Federal Constitution," he said when met after the launch of a book on former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tun Ismail Mohd Ali at the central bank, here, today.
The prime minister said this when asked to comment on efforts to repeal the Sedition Act, which Pakatan Harapan (PH) had said they wanted to do should they take over Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional (BN).
Recently, the Act was used by the police to detain the brother of Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam.
The arrest was because Lokman's brother was alleged to have uploaded a picture insulting Dr Mahathir on social media.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said since the Act has not been repealed, it will still be enforced, adding that authorities can continue to use the Act.
"Personally, I have no problems with people labelling me with unpleasant words.
"I don't care about this (insults), anybody wants to call me anything, go ahead," he said.
Last week, several PH leaders criticised the use of the Sedition Act at a time when the government is moving to repeal it.
Among those who spoke against the Act still being used were deputy minister in the prime minister's department Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng and PKR central leadership council member Latheefa Koya.
Responding to the criticism, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman said the government has not issued any directive for the Sedition Act to be used against any quarters.
"There is no instruction from the government's leaders to use the Act on any individuals as alleged.
"In fact the PH government does not encourage the Act being used," he had said.