Australia Should Impose Trade Sanctions against Malaysia

Federal Member for Fairfax

Media release

The federal leader of the Palmer United Party and Member for Fairfax, Clive Palmer, has called on the federal government to impose trade sanctions against Malaysia.

Mr Palmer said the Malaysian government was behaving like a dictatorship and was silencing political critics by putting them in jail.

“Our Foreign Minister Julie Bishop should be taking strong action against Malaysia with trade sanctions,” he said.

“They use their courts to crackdown on dissidents and throw them in jail with politically motivated charges.

“The authorities in Malaysia over the past year have made increasing use of a draconian Sedition Act to target journalists, politicians and academics for criticising the government.

“These types of undemocratic practices must be stopped immediately.

“Australia must use its influence in the region to act against this unjust behaviour from the Malaysian government.

“Imposing trade sanctions would be a good place to start to remind the Malaysian government that Australia is a country that strongly values and upholds the rights to freedom of speech and democracy.”

ENDS