Cops probe Malaysiakini for sedition

 

(The Sun Daily) – About 15 police personnel including six officers armed with a search warrant went over to the office of online news web portal Malaysiakini.com yesterday over a probe into an alleged seditious article published in the website.

The police personnel from the Subang Jaya district police headquarters were apparently investigating a report on an article titled “Nurul’s watershed idea for the nation” which was in response to the controversy surrounding Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar over her recent statement on religious matters.

The commentary was written by the web portal’s columnist Steve Oh.

When contacted by theSun, Malaysiakini’s chief editor Fathi Aris Omar said the police had recorded a statement from him, news editor Gerald Martinez and human resource manager A Shamini.

The police team arrived at Malaysiakini’s office in Bangsar at about 5.15 pm and spent about 90 mins carrying out investigations over the article under the Sedition Act.

Fathi said police did not seize anything but had told the web portal’s officials that they would return today (FRI) to resume their probe at the premises.

In response to case, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan said in a news report in the web portal that the police visit can be described as “yet another case of intimidation and harassment”.

“There is nothing considered as seditious in Oh’s letter. We are consulting our lawyers on the matter,” he said.

Subang Jaya police chief ACP Yahaya Ramli told theSun that the operation was not a raid but police had merely gone to the web portal’s office to record statements over the article.