Penang police, MCMC to investigate CM's death threat

 

A screen capture of an expanded window of MoonYue18's death-related tweet to Anwar.

 

Himansu Bhatt, Fz.com

GEORGE TOWN (Sept 13): Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi confirms that the police have started investigations into Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's death threat through Twitter.

 

Investigations, which is classified under Section 507 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation, will also involve the cooperation of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

 

Abdul Rahim added that police will provide updates on the progress.

 

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has lodged a police report on a tweet directed to him with an alleged death threat posted yesterday morning.

 

Lim made the report at 8pm last night at the George Town police headquarters in Patani Road here.

 

Interestingly enough, a check on the Twitter account of the sender showed that he or she had also sent a death-related message to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the same day.  

 

Registered with the user name "MoonYue18", the account holder had directed a tweet with the wording "ini melayu langsi lu mati" (this Malay is a swaggerer you die) to Anwar.

 

It also had a link to a video uploaded on the Youtube website featuring a 10-minute anti-Anwar documentary on his dismissal from the government and Umno in 1998.

 

(Anwar was deputy prime minister and deputy Umno president when he was sacked and later jailed. He later became de facto leader of the new opposition party Keadilan.)  

 

The tweet was transmitted just a minute after the one that was sent to Lim.

 

The tweet to Lim, who is the DAP’s secretary-general, carried the words "cheater!! u mati minggu depan (you will die next week)".

 

Lim had immediately responded by re-tweeting the message, saying: "This is a death threat."  

 

Speaking at a press conference at his office today, Lim said he has no knowledge on the identity of MoonYue18.

 

He said the account holder had directed messages to his Twitter account before, but there was nothing alarming in the past.

 

"This is a direct death threat," he said, adding that MoonYue18 has not referred to the matter again so far after the tweet was sent.

 

It is speculated that the message from MoonYue18 is related to the DAP’s move to abide by the Registrar of Societies’ directive to hold elections for the party’s central executive committee again on Sept 29.

 

This is because the tweet had a link to an article on the matter.

 

In his police report, which was recorded by George Town CID chief ASP Wan Kamarul Azran, Lim said he was shocked when he read the message and became worried about his safety.  

 

He added that he was making the report for his safety as the chief minister of Penang.

 

A copy of the report was made available at the press conference.

 

MoonYue18 had until noon today sent 87 tweets.

 

The first or oldest tweet in his or her account was made on June 12, and was also directed at Anwar.

 

It read: "What happen?? Syok sendiri maaa? (enjoying yourself are you?)"