GEORGE TOWN: Police are on the hunt for those who have insulted the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on social media during the height of the country’s political crisis recently.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Mazlan Mansor said five people have been arrested so far and police have initiated 10 investigations under Section 4(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
“We are still looking for a few more people. We believe they are still in the country. As for those we arrested, we await instruction from the prosecution on the next course of action,” he said today.
He was met after the handover-of-duty ceremony between outgoing state police chief Datuk T. Narenasagaran and incoming state police chief Datuk Sahabudin Abd Manan.
It was reported the Federal police Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Classified Criminal Investigation Unit had arrested a man for insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Facebook.
CID director Datuk Huzir Mohamed had said that police had launched a probe over a seditious post uploaded on Fadiah Nadwa Fikri @FadiahNadwa’s Twitter account, which could lead to disharmony and jeopardise the country’s public order.
He had also said another three investigations on Facebook posts allegedly insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong were being carried out.
On whether police had summoned the organiser of a gathering outside the Sogo Shopping Complex in Kuala Lumpur recently following their disapproval of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s appointment as the country’s eighth prime minister, Mansor replied: “It was under action. We will do the necessary as reports have been lodged.
“Also, I don’t intend to comment much as the matter is still under probe.”
He said this when asked to comment on Gombak member of parliament Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s statement that Malaysians had the right to peacefully protest or express their views as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
His response was in reference to reports of investigations on Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and several others in relation to last weekend’s public gatherings.