"How... seditious."

Let's start with selfies. Yes, selfies. Photographs taken by insanely self-absorbed people who believe that the world genuinely wants to see their faces, and not much else. Often, these narcissists wi‎ll feature more recognisable things in their selfies to make themselves seem more interesting. Famous artwork, popular tourist attractions, celebrities... basically anything under the sun. 

Political figures have not been immune from this widespread disease. President Obama of the United States, Chancellor Merkel of Germany, and President Jokowi‎ of Indonesia are among many who have taken to photographing themselves and circulating these photos on social media platforms, in an attempt to seem relevant. To woo the hearts and minds of younger voters by making them believe that their politicians aren't as out of touch as some may seem.

And our politicians are no exception.

Malaysian MPs and ministers are becoming quite well-known for their selfies, some more than others. Periodically, social media sites are set ablaze with photographs of politicians doing... political things. They show to the world that yes, they do indeed work, for the sake of the people (and that it's important that the people are harassed with photographs of them doing this work, as if it isn't part of their job description). It seems clear now, more than ever, that our politicians are desperate to seem more relevant to the increasingly IT-savvy voters out and about, as we're seeing more and more of these selfies as the days go by.

Ah, relevance. 

One must wonder then, how a government so keen to remain in touch with its voters, can stand steadfast behind a law that can only be described as a floppy disk in an era of 1TB thumbdrives, or dial-up internet in a world of high-speed broadband. I am referring to the Sedition Act of course, in case you're particularly thick. Here's a law that's akin to gangster-style intimidation, in a country that "promotes healthy dialogue between the people and their representatives, for a more progressive Malaysia." Uh huh.

It's like an iPhone app that launches a catapult. Or a brass chastity belt on Amazon.com. Pick a bloody era, damnit. 

Clearly, our Government is suffering from a serious case of Foot-In-Mouth Disease, which has caused a bout of Hypocriticitis to boot. These men and women with decades of experience in the political arena under their belt, are somehow clueless on how to treat this outbreak. Maybe I, of little age and equally little political experience, can shed some light on the situation:

Ammend the act. Let the Sedition Act apply only to the Monarchy, as it should. Rebrand it, if you must (did I hear "Harmony Act?"). In any case, the Sedition Act cannot be left as-is. Ministers, MPs, senators and the like are nothing more than servants to the people who elected them. And so they should be, as we are, open to criticism, however harsh or unconstructive. Because this is a democracy. And that's that.