The home minister says police have a duty to act when a report is lodged, including assessing the complaint and conducting preliminary investigations.
Saifuddin said police have a duty to act when a report is lodged, including assessing the complaint and conducting preliminary investigations.
“When there is a complaint, that is the first process. Individuals involved will be called to give statements and are expected to cooperate fully,” he said in a video shared on his Facebook page.
He said the unity government respects freedom of speech but stressed that such freedom must be exercised responsibly.
He also said the matter had gone viral and drawn mixed public reactions, with some arguing that police action undermined press freedom, while others believed that Tan had crossed a line.
Tan, 31, who resigned from FMT yesterday morning, was arrested under the Sedition Act just past midnight after turning up at the Dang Wangi police headquarters.
He was released on police bail this afternoon after having his statement recorded. Tan’s mobile phone has also been seized to assist in investigations.
Bukit Aman criminal investigation department director M Kumar said three police reports had been made against Tan.
The incident stemmed from a question Tan posed at a public lecture on Gaza featuring British politician George Galloway, which sparked backlash online after it was perceived to contain racial overtones.
Tan subsequently issued a public apology, saying his question was “poorly constructed”, failed to consider its relevance to the event, and did not sufficiently take into account its sensitive nature.
Malaysian Media Council deputy chairman Premesh Chandran said Tan had made a mistake but described his arrest as excessive. The Centre for Independent Journalism also criticised Tan’s arrest, saying it violated international standards of the three-part test of proportionality, necessity and legitimacy. - FMT
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