No joke, you can get arrested

 

MALAYSIANS must be asking this – since when do we get hauled up by the police for criticising and insulting public figures, especially politicians, on social media?

Surely, as politicians, they should be able to take all this.

Kedah Mentri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, being a PAS leader, must surely have spent his career criticising other political parties before he became part of the government.

So, hurling insults and criticism at ceramah would have been one of his regular activities.

Now that he is helming the state government, it is his turn to face the public (and its wrath).

He should not just expect praise and sycophancy.

If the criticism is indeed slanderous or defamatory, then he should take legal action against these critics.

If it’s seditious, take it further.

Yesterday, the police detained two individuals for allegedly insulting Muhammad Sanusi on social media recently.

Kota Setar district police chief Asst Comm Ahmad Shukri Mat Akhir reportedly said the two men, aged 45 and 52, were nabbed at their homes in Kepala Batas and Mergong Perdana on Monday.

“A special officer to the Kedah Mentri Besar had lodged a report at the Alor Setar police station following negative and insulting comments made by the two individuals on the Mentri Besar’s Facebook page.

“One of them is a private employee and the other, a trader.

Both have no criminal record and were released on bail after their statements were recorded,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Bernama quoted ACP Ahmad Shukri as saying that the case was being investigated under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act, Section 504 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

That’s certainly swift action.

So, we have a case where Muhammad Sanusi apologised for his joke over having freezer containers for Covid-19 victims which went viral on social media.

But now, a police report has been lodged.

Just what sort of an apology is that?

The MB had said the joke was meant for reporters at the event, whom he described as “family members” met in the course of his career.

“First of all, I would like to apologise for the joke (on Friday) that has gone viral.

“I’m the type who likes to crack jokes, but perhaps my joke was disrespectful, and as such, I would like to apologise.

“I would like to clarify that I was joking with the reporters but the joke sounded as though it was generally meant for everyone. If there are those offended by it, I would like to apologise,” he told reporters after the opening of the Universiti Utara Malaysia Outreach Vaccination Centre (PPV) on Saturday.

In June, Muhammad Sanusi found himself in another controversy when a woman who sparked a police investigation of the MB for allegedly test-driving a Ford Raptor in Penang during the total lockdown emerged to tell her side of the story. Nini Siron shared on her Facebook page that she took photographs and reported the incident to the police as she thought it was her duty as a citizen after seeing someone acting in breach of SOP on Covid-19 precautions.

Nini said she lived 9.6km or just six minutes away from the location of the incident and confirmed that she called the police at 6.30pm on the day in question to report an infringement of the SOP.

She added that she had submitted a report to the police at 10pm the same day.

On July 16, the MB was fined RM1,500 for violating the Covid-19 SOP for test-driving a vehicle in Penang in June. He paid the fine at the Kota Setar district Health Department upon receiving a compound notice from the police.

It certainly took a longer time for the authorities to act against the MB.

If our Cabinet members can sportingly take all the regular lampoons in social media videos by our comedians, why can’t the Kedah MB take this?

It is these incidents that annoy the people as it gives the perception that the powerful elite get special consideration.

And now let’s come to the point.

We hope that our health and local council officers will show some common sense and compassion when they deal with hawkers and traders operating by the roadside and markets.

It’s true that some may have flouted some laws, especially failure to comply with the SOP and even licensing issues, but let’s give them sufficient warnings and notices.

These are extraordinary times when people have lost their jobs and are living on their shrinking savings, and are still trying to put food on the table. These people have families to feed.

It is illogical that they get slapped with a RM10,000 fine, for example, when we read of famous names getting penalised for less.

The blame ultimately falls on the government.

This is not a joke, for sure, as these low-ranking officers are abusing their authority.

Let’s do something about this.

-by Wong Chun Wai, Star