“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” 

The First Amendment of the United States Federal Constitution (above) is what makes “free speech” in the US so unique, even when compared to other countries in the West. The First Amendment makes it incredibly difficult (or impossible) to clamp down on hate speech, but it also arguably is one of the reasons why America is seen by many as the bastion of creativity and innovation. On the third episode of What If Malaysia, we explore what Malaysia could look like if we had freedom of speech just like the US.

Other episodes of the miniseries:

> What if Malaysia… Has a Woman Prime Minister #1

> What if Malaysia... Decriminalised All Drugs For Personal Use #2

> What if Malaysia… Legalises Abortion (On-Demand)? #4

> What if Malaysia… Legalises Sex Work? #5

> What if Malaysia… Abolishes the Death Penalty? #6

> What if Malaysia… Ratified the UN Refugee Convention? #7

> What if Malaysia… Has a Non-Malay Prime Minister #8

Image Source: Shutterstock

Produced by: Dashran Yohan, Teo Xing Yu

Presented by: Dashran Yohan

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Categories:  Politics,  Social Issues,  law & legal matters,  Education

Tags:  The Bigger Picture,  Live & Learn,  What If Malaysia,  Freedom of Speech,  Freedom of Expression,