Police detain 68yo Marudi man over provocative Facebook comment allegedly insulting Islam

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by DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Jan 24: Police have opened an investigation into a Facebook comment alleged to contain racial provocation and insults against Islam, following reports that the content could threaten public harmony.

Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said a police report was lodged at the Marudi Police Station at about 9.08am today after a comment uploaded by an individual through a Facebook account was deemed offensive and potentially disruptive to racial and religious harmony.

Following the report, the case is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233(2) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Acting on the information received, a team from the Marudi District Police Headquarters arrested a 68-year-old local man at about 11.45am on the same day in Marudi to assist with investigations. Police also seized a mobile phone believed to have been used to post the comment.

According to Mohamad Zainal, the content had been widely circulated on social media and posed a risk to public order and national security if left unaddressed.

“To date, seven police reports have been lodged by members of the public in relation to the statement.

“Further investigations are ongoing, including an application to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to verify ownership of the Facebook account involved and to take action to restrict access to content found to contravene the law,” he said in a recent statement.

He stressed that any act touching on religious and racial sensitivities is viewed seriously and will not be compromised.

He also reminded the public to use social media responsibly, to comply with existing laws, and to respect religious and racial diversity to maintain peace and harmony in Sarawak and the country as a whole. — DayakDaily