A woman has reportedly been arrested and is being investigated under the Sedition Act, allegedly for ranting about Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership in a TikTok video.
Viral social media posts also allege that the woman, who goes by the username Jorjet Myla, was remanded for three days. It was also reported that she did not have legal representation at the time of remand.
Police have yet to respond to queries from Malaysiakini since this morning seeking confirmation about the arrest and other details.
Myla’s TikTok account is also no longer accessible, but copies of the alleged infringing video are widespread.
In the video that Myla was supposedly arrested over, she railed against Anwar, accusing the prime minister of constantly blaming others for his perceived ineptitude and lacklustre performance.
She said Anwar was still behaving like he was an opposition leader, and suggested that the PKR president may find it more comfortable not to be in government.
‘Is criticising PM a crime now?’
Myla’s arrest sparked a wave of criticism from Perikatan Nasional and its supporters.
PAS Young Women chief Mardhiyyah Johari accused the government of stifling freedom of speech.
“Is it the case that under the Madani government, criticising the prime minister or the government is a crime?” she said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said the arrest was inconsistent with Pakatan Harapan’s past stance against the Sedition Act and could create a climate of fear.
He also warned that those in the Madani government may suffer for their actions in the future.
“The more cruel you are to the people, the bigger the court and prison doors will open for you after you are defeated. Think about it,” he said in a Facebook post.
Others who voiced concerns include Bersatu Youth.
In January, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Sedition Act is only used for cases involving insults to the royal institution and instances that threaten national sovereignty.
Human rights group Suaram, however, noted in a report that half of the sedition probes in 2025 were over criticism of political leaders. - FMT
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