C4 warns govt against curbing free speech after CEO questioned

 Anti-corruption watchdog says several others have also been summoned to Bukit Aman, including political commentators and academics.

Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism CEO Pushpan Murugiah was questioned by Bukit Aman yesterday regarding a probe under Section 124B of the Penal Code for activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

PETALING JAYA:

 The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) today warned the government against infringing on freedom of speech after its CEO, Pushpan Murugiah, was summoned by Bukit Aman for questioning yesterday.

C4 said Pushpan was questioned for about an hour and a half, in relation to a probe under Section 124B of the Penal Code for activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

“The lines of questioning revealed some concerning issues regarding the police’s perspectives on freedom of speech and expression by political activists and commentators,” it said in a statement.

It said several others had also been summoned to Bukit Aman for the investigation, including political commentators and academics.

“The investigation centered on allegations of high-powered individuals seeking to topple the government through collusion with international actors,” it added.

C4 said Pushpan was purportedly questioned by the police because his name appeared in an email allegedly relevant to the offence under investigation.

“Yet, the line of questioning went far beyond the email alone. The questions posed to Pushpan sought to scrutinise the operations and autonomy of C4, with queries on sources of funding and whether the organisation had received instructions to say or do certain things.

“He was also challenged on C4’s right to make comments on matters of public importance and national governance, with officers questioning our standing to make such comments,” it said.

C4 said the police’s questioning raised deeper concerns, reflecting practices of past administrations that used the law to silence dissent.

It urged civil society to take a stand to prevent any further decline of freedoms, and called on the government to affirm that criminal law would not be used to silence free speech, political dissent, and fair critique of the administration.

“This incident should be viewed as a canary in the coal mine for freedom of speech, and must not be a precursor of more stringent repression in the future,” it said.

C4 also said that since its establishment in 2014, it had maintained a non-partisan position through the changing administrations.

“We will never serve as a mouthpiece for others’ agendas, for our role is in advancing the public interest of the nation.”

On Friday, three family members of the late former finance minister Daim Zainuddin and their lawyers filed a suit against the government to halt a police investigation into an alleged plot to topple the administration. - FMT