Report lodged against communications minister over TMI ban

A police report lodged last night urges the cops to investigate Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak for abuse of power in shutting down access to The Malaysian Insider news site. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 26, 2016.

A former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee yesterday lodged a police report against Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak for blocking access to The Malaysian Insider website.

Activist Badaruddin Ismail, 70, lodged the report at the Dang Wangi police station in Kuala Lumpur at 10.20pm last night, hours after the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) instructed several internet service providers to block access to the portal on grounds of "national security".

Badaruddin, better known as Pak Din, said the action was against freedom of speech as enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

In his report, he stated that MCMC could not determine which article was deemed a national security threat.

He said the move was flippant and unjustified, with malicious intent and an abuse of power.

"I decided to lodge a report after reading on the website yesterday evening that the news site has been blocked by MCMC.

"How can MCMC determine what is considered a national security threat? That is the job of the police," he told The Malaysian Insider today.

Badaruddin (pic, left) added that the block cited under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 was also not applicable as the legislation was too general.

The Internet regulator had previously blocked other sites, including news aggregator website, Malaysia Chronicle, for allegedly violating national laws, and Sarawak Report (SR) which made claims of corruption against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Twitter's publishing platform, Medium was also blocked for refusing to take down a post featuring SR's article on Najib from its site.

Medium's legal team had kept the post up despite the ban, saying: "We stand by investigative journalists who publish on Medium. Until we receive an order from a court of competent jurisdiction, the post stays up,"

Malaysia Chronicle and Sarawak Report remain inaccessible in Malaysia.

A copy of the police report against MCMC lodged by activist Badruddin Ismail yesterday. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 26, 2016.

- TMI