A group of Harapan Plus senators belonging to the Dewan Negara People's Wellbeing caucus today rebutted their chairperson, Senator Razali Idris, over his remarks likening online criticism of the government to a serious mental illness.

The group of 21 senators noted Razali's call for sterner actions against any form of incitement, obscenities and insults towards the government, either through a new law or amendments to Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

"He appears to be extra vulnerable to harsh public criticisms on the government's weaknesses in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, to the point of being willing to silence the public's freedom of expression, contrary to basic human rights...