Kuala Lampur, Aug. 21 -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has defended the government's appeal over the Court of Appeal's ruling that decriminalised "offensive" online remarks.

A right to appeal is a substantive right, not a mere procedural right. Justice Gopal Sri Ram, then a judge of the Court of Appeal, in Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang v Lembaga Rayuan Negeri Pulau Pinang & Anor [2006], said:

"[The] right of appeal is not a common law right either as a matter of private or public law. It is a creature of statute. If it is not given then it does not exist. And once given, it is a substantive and not a mere procedural right. Support for these propositions may, if sought, be found in Chandrasekaran Thangavelu & Anor v AL Annama...