KUALA LUMPUR: Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the investigation on Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's speech that had allegedly insulted the Sultan of Selangor will proceed, despite an apology on the matter from Sanusi.
"Our investigation is still ongoing (even though Sanusi has apologised)," he told Berita Harian when contacted.
Razarudin said the police had received 57 police reports against Sanusi as of yesterday morning.
He added the investigation papers involving three political party leaders who touched on the issue of race, religion and royalty (3R), namely Sanusi; Pas President Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng will be handed over to the Attorney General's Office as soon as possible.
Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said reminded Sanusi that an apology does not mean he will be spared from police investigation and legal action.
She said politicians should remember that playing up issues that divide the people, disrupt public order and disrespecting the royal institution was against the law and no one would be spared from legal action by issuing an apology.
Although freedom of speech is the constitutional right of every Malaysian citizen under Article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution, Azalina said such rights were subject to Article 10(2) to ensure that peace and order were guaranteed.
"Anyone who raises the issue of division, disturbing public order and disrespecting the institution of the King, should remember that this is an offence under the law," she said in a tweet yesterday.
Azalina said as a politician or any person endowed with power, they should be aware that such speech can influence the public, especially during the election season.
Sanusi, who is also the Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director through a post on Facebook yesterday morning stated that he has sent a letter to the Sultan of Selangor asking for forgiveness and apologised for his previous statement.
He also gave his statement to the police at Bukit Aman at 2am yesterday.
However, he claimed that his speech was deliberately twisted to create a wrong understanding.
Meanwhile, political analysts also believe that the legal process should continue even if a party had submitted an apology for allegedly playing up issues touching on the 3Rs.
They agreed that it was time for the authorities to take strict action against any party that acted excessively.
Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Social Sciences lecturer Professor Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said anyone who uses 3R as political capital should be dragged into the legal process regardless of political, religious and racial lines.
"Every election season, this issue is raised to play with the sentiments and emotions of the voters. This shows that we are immature in moral and prudent politics," he said.
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) political analyst Dr Ariff Aizuddin Azlan said parties who are already playing the 3R issue should not be spared.
"This is not the first time that royal institutions have been criticised, but this time it is hot because royal institutions are directly criticised by political party leaders and are closely related to the 3R issue, causing it to be taken seriously by the government.
"Blank criticism of the royal institution should not be done.
"If just apologising can solve the problem, it will give the impression that the royal institution can be played with and dragged into the political scene," he said.