KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has strengthened its controversial sedition law, imposing a minimum jail term of three years and allowing the government to block online media deemed to be seditious, lawmakers said on Friday. The toughening of the Sedition Act, which dates back to British colonial rule, comes after a crackdown in which scores of people have been detained under the law in recent weeks since opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was jailed in February on sodomy charges. The latest amendments to the law passed through parliament after more than 12 hours of debate that dragged into the early hours of Friday. The changes drew criticism at home and abroad, including from the United Nations. Under the new law, the government can block electronic media that is deemed to be seditious, extending its reach into Malaysia's largely uncontrolled online media landscape. Last month, authorities arrested editors from an online news portal for sedition, sparking outcry over the wide usage of the law. — Reuters
