According to the document, the government is considering adding clauses to four types of national security offenses, indicating that a higher penalty would be imposed should external forces be involved. They include “offence of seditious intention”, “offense of misprision of treason”, “unlawful disclosure of classified information”, and “offence of sabotage endangering national security”. Meanwhile, the government said some of the elements of the existing offences relating to “seditious intention” lack clarity, leading to legal disputes over the elements of the relevant offences during trials. “We recommend clarifying or improving the elements of the offences based on past practical experience in the current legislative exercise. “One of the examples, for the offence of “seditious intention”, is whether proof of the intention of inciting public disorder or inciting violence is required,” it noted.

Source: The Standard March 06, 2024 10:58 UTC