GEORGE TOWN: Two lawyers have criticised the police for arresting those who had allegedly made remarks against Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
Lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali said the arrests and remand of the persons at the height of the pandemic were not necessary when their statements could be taken and devices seized for investigation.
“What is wrong with the rakyat criticising the MB? After all, it is the MB’s own gaffes that they are responding to. Where is the freedom of expression?
“The police going around swooping in and arresting people is an act of silencing dissent,” he told FMT.
Rafique said the trend of those in power using the police to choke on the downtrodden was troubling, especially over minor crimes.
He also questioned the police for not acting with similar speed in Sanusi’s Ford Raptor test drive incident in Penang that took place in early June. It was announced last month that the MB paid a RM1,500 fine after police determined that he had breached the MCO rules.
Lawyer Ramkarpal Singh said it was also unnecessary for the police to pick up suspects from afar, like they did when they arrested the first suspect from Negeri Sembilan, and to bring them to Kedah to take their statement.
“Any suspect should be allowed to give their statement at the nearest police station. There was also no reason for the police to ask for a remand,” the Bukit Gelugor MP added.
DAP’s P Ramasamy asked why Sanusi was receiving special attention from the police when even Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had never directed his officers to lodge police reports over the many criticisms he had received online.
MUDA’s Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman asked why police reports need to be made over comments deemed insulting.
“Is it because you are a politician that cannot be admonished? Why do you take the Rakyat as your enemy? Is it only during the general election that you want to praise them?” the Muar MP asked.
At the time of writing, four persons have been arrested by the Kedah police over remarks deemed insulting against Sanusi.
First was a 61-year-old who launched into a diatribe against the MB in a 9-minute video on Facebook. It was later revealed that two other men, aged 45 and 52, were also arrested for making offensive content against Sanusi, though it has yet to be revealed.
The fourth was a 25-year-old IT analyst who was arrested in Aulong, Taiping last night and brought to Sungai Petani for questioning. Police obtained a three-day remand order from the magistrates court today to complete their investigation.
At a press conference on Aug 6, Sanusi had been asked about the status of shipping containers to hold dead bodies at Hospital Sungai Petani, following a shortage of space at the morgue there.
He replied that more containers would be made available, adding: “There are enough containers for dead bodies. Anyone who wants to enter, give your names.”
A barrage of attacks ensued, calling Sanusi insensitive for making such a remark. He apologised for the matter a day later, after the video clip of him making the remark had gone viral. - FMT
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