Lawyer, MP to come under sedition probe for comments on Islamic studies, Jakim

(Malay Mail Online) – Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar today said civil liberties lawyer Eric Paulsen and Kampar MP Ko Chung Sen will both be investigated for sedition.

In a post on Twitter today, Khalid posted a picture of Paulsen with a text insert that read, “Jakim is promoting extremism every Friday. Govt needs to address that if serious about extremism in Malaysia.”

Jakim is the Malay acronym for the Malaysian Islamic Development Department.

The image was branded with the word “Biadap” (rude) in bold, red letters.

This was followed by another image of Ko with a text bubble saying: “Abolish the Islamic civilisation subject. This is our right. I pay taxes”.

“It is appropriate that we investigate such statements under the Sedition Act. @PDRMsia will investigate under the Sedition Act,” Khalid wrote on his personal Twitter account today.

Earlier today, Khalid also defended the colonial era law that criminalises speech with an undefined “seditious tendency”, saying it would help Malaysian police prevent the “problem” that prompted the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris, France.

Ko and Paulsen will be the latest to come under a sedition dragnet that was launched last year ahead of the government’s reversal on previous pledges to repeal the law that critics contend is being used to stifle dissent.