Police confirm investigating SCMP report of Malaysia’s rounding up of migrants amid Covid-19

(MMO) – The police today confirmed it has launched investigations over a news report by Hong Kong-based news outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP) over the authorities’ recent raid and mass arrests of foreign migrants.

In a press conference this afternoon, Bukit Aman criminal investigation department director Comm Datuk Huzir Mohamed confirmed that an investigation is being conducted on this case.

“We have opened investigation papers,” he said in a brief response.

The news report published by SCMP on May 1 is titled “Coronavirus: hundreds arrested as Malaysia cracks down on migrants in Covid-19 red zones”, written by journalists Tashny Sukumaran and Bhavan Jaipragas.

Earlier today, Tashny had on Twitter said the police will be questioning her over the matter.

“Happy World Press Freedom Day! I have been summoned to Bukit Aman this Wednesday for questioning over my reporting of the immigration raid on the downtown KL red zone on #MayDay.

“According to PDRM, I am being investigated under Sek 504 of the Penal Code and Sek 233 of the Communications & Multimedia Act,” she said as part of several tweets.

Separately, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah also clarified on Twitter that he has asked regulator Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to not act against her.