Former Damansara MP Tony Pua said the police questioned him for more than an hour today over his remarks regarding the Pardons Board’s decision to reduce former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s jail sentence.
He entered the Bukit Aman police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur at around 1.10pm and spoke to the press after exiting the premises at around 2.30pm.
He said the police questioned him on five Facebook posts, with a total of 60 questions.
Pua said after his statement was recorded, police officers will be accompanying him home to seize his laptop for investigation.
“I will hand over my laptop later,” he said.
He added that he provided the police with his Facebook account login details, including his password.
He was accompanied by several DAP leaders today including national chairperson Lim Guan Eng, Klang MP V Ganabatirau, Kampung Tunku state assemblyperson Lim Yi Wei, and Subang Jaya assemblyperson Michelle Ng.
Pua was a political secretary to Guan Eng when the latter was finance minister.
When asked for his comments, Guan Eng said he would convey his views through the party’s internal channels.
Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke refused to respond to a statement by former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming.
Ong, who is also a former deputy minister, called on the DAP leadership to make its position clear on the 1MDB scandal, the investigation into Pua, and the party’s commitment to institutional reform.
Loke, who was attending an event on Chinese independent schools in Kuala Lumpur this morning, dismissed requests for his comment.
“Today, we are only talking about education issues. If there is any other matter, DAP national chairperson Lim Guan Eng will be at Bukit Aman. Other questions will be answered in other press conferences.”
Allegation of sedition
Pua courted criticisms and police reports over Facebook posts made in an apparent reference to the Pardons Board’s decision to halve Najib’s prison sentence, as well as to significantly reduce the RM210 million fine.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Razarudin Husain yesterday said Pua’s remarks were seditious for criticising the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s power to grant pardons and inciting others to hate the royal institution.
According to the IGP’s statement, the subjects of investigation include a series of Facebook posts uploaded by Pua last week.
While several politicians and civil society groups have voiced displeasure at seeing Najib’s punishment being reduced, others, especially from Umno, also expressed dissatisfaction as they believed Najib should have been given a full pardon.
Najib himself also expressed his disappointment over the board’s decision, which was made when it was chaired by the then Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
‘No incitement’
Meanwhile, Pua insisted that his remarks did not violate the Sedition Act.
“I have mentioned, there are no elements of incitement that I can find. I have read it two to three times, four to five times, six times.
“Every night, I read it (my comments). How can this be brought under the Sedition Act? It’s not there. You can read it yourself,” he said.
Pua said he had learned that investigations commenced after an unidentified Johor Umno member lodged a report against him.
He said he was not disappointed that a report had been lodged against him, dismissing it as being how “Umno is”.
“But it feels like a waste of time. Wasting the police’s time. It’s okay to waste my time, I’m retired.
“But it’s wasting police time investigating things that aren’t necessary. That’s what I think the bigger issue is,” he said.
When asked whether his posts were disrespectful to Loke, who had called for calm in a statement, he simply replied, “No.”
He also revealed that he received many supportive messages.
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