Masai man detained over viral video insulting Johor ruler

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained a 34-year-old man in Masai, Johor, today over a viral TikTok video that allegedly contained insults directed at the Sultan of Johor.

District police chief Superintendent Mohd Sohaimi Ishak said a TikTok user with the handle "Eddy_4b10s3m" posted the eight-second video, which recently went viral.

The video posted about 3pm on June 16 showed a man uttering the words: "Allah said in the Quran that the sultan of Johor is 'firaun' (the pharoah)."

"A police team from the Seri Alam Criminal Investigation Department and Masai police station detained the local man, who is believed to be 34, at a house in Masai, Johor, about 1.40pm on June 25," he today.

Sohaimi said the suspect did not have any criminal record and he tested negative for drugs.

"The case is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, which is punishable by a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding three years, or both, for first-time offences.

"The case is also being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which is punishable by a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both."

Sohaimi said people should not engage in actions that would incite anger or cause hatred towards any religion, country and the royal institution as they would disrupt the harmony in the community.