KUALA LUMPUR: Police have received 929 police reports nationwide and opened 16 investigation papers related to insults made against Islam, the Prophet Muhammad and his wife Saidatina Aisyah.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, in a statement issued today, listed the details of four of the latest cases.
He said that as of today, 15 police reports were lodged against an owner of a Facebook account named ‘Barakuk’ for allegedly insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.
Mohamad Fuzi said the 29-year-old suspect was detained in Labuan on Sunday (March 3) and was slapped with a four-day remand which will end on Thursday.
The second case involved 10 reports lodged against the owner of a Facebook account named ‘Ayea Yea’ for insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.
A 22-year-old suspect was detained in Bau, Sarawak yesterday in relation to the case. He is being remanded until Thursday.
He said the third case involved a 52-year-old owner of a Facebook account named ‘Yazid Kong’, who allegedly insulted Islam.
He was arrested in Petaling Jaya, Selangor yesterday (March 4). The police are in the midst of obtaining a remand order for the suspect today.
The fourth case involved a 43-year-old owner of a Twitter account @alvinchow333 for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
“The suspect is believed to be in Kuala Lumpur and efforts are being made to detain the suspect.
“These cases are being investigated under the Penal Code and Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,” said Mohamad Fuzi.
The IGP advised the public not to abuse social media or any communication network through any activity that involved uploading or sharing any form of provocation. He said such actions could affect religious and cultural sensitivities.
“Challenging or insulting the beliefs or religions of any race, could give rise to racial tensions within our country’s multiracial community, and such things must be immediately stopped," he said, adding that the police would take strict action against any quarters who failed to heed this matter.
On Feb 27, a 68-year-old man claimed trial at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to two counts of insulting Prophet Muhammad and his wife on his Facebook page.
His first charge was for uploading an insulting caricature of Prophet Muhammad and his wife Saidatina Aisyah to his Facebook page on Feb 17.
The offence under Section 298A(1) of the Penal Code is for spreading words that cause disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will, or prejudicing, the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion.
The man’s second charge was for transmitting offensive communication with the intent to cause annoyance to other people on his Facebook account.
The offence under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 is for improper use of network facilities or network services.
The 68-year-old man, who is jobless, was sent to the Sungai Buloh prison as he could not post his RM20,000 bail.