KUALA LUMPUR: Police have opened investigation papers over the black flag campaign on social media for allegedly containing seditious elements.
#Benderahitam is an online campaign where social media users share pictures of black flags on various platforms as signs of protesting the current government.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigations Department director Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan said investigations over the campaign are still in the preliminary stages and being updated from time to time.
"The case is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, Section 505(c) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988," he told Berita Harian today.
The Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat (SSR) has called on the public to wave black flags on July 3 as a show of protest against the Perikatan Nasional government in administering the country throughout the challenging period of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group also called for the resignation of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as well as for a Parliament sitting to be convened and to lift the state of emergency.
Prior to this, the white flag campaign was launched to help those in need of food and assistance in light of the Covid-19 crises.
On other matters, Abd Jalil said police are still in the process of re-submitting the application to list the name of a Malaysian residing in Germany on the International Police (Interpol) wanted list through a red notice.
"We will reapply with Interpol for a red notice against the man for allegedly making seditious, racist and insulting statements against the royal institutions and the government," he said.
It was reported that police had previously made the application against the man, 39, on Dec 22 but was rejected by Interpol.
The man was believed to have uploaded a video entitled "Racist In Vaccine Malaysia" on Facebook.
In the video, the man claimed that non-Muslims were administered with inferior Sinovac vaccine, while Muslims were given the "higher-quality Pfizer vaccine".