KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — The police have arrested three people for allegedly insulting Islam over their comments on PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Dr Haron Din’s death, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today.

According to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department had nabbed one person in Ipoh, Perak, and the other in Shah Alam, Selangor.

"Syabas JSJK @PDRMsia tkap 2 org, 1 di Ipoh dan 1 SAlam buat posting di FB hina agama Islam berkaitan kematian Dato Haron Din,” Khalid tweeted.

[Translation: Congrats JSJK @PDRMsia for arresting two people, one in Ipoh and one in Shah Alam for their Facebook posts insulting Islam in connection with Datuk Haron Din’s death].

Haron died last Friday at the age of 76 at the Stanford University Hospital in California while undergoing treatment for a heart problem.

Clarifying on the matter at a press conference today, the IGP said that a third person was also arrested in Shah Alam today for the same offence. He did not specify the platform on which the third suspect had allegedly made the offending comments about Haron.

All three are being investigated under Section 298 of the Penal Code pertaining to uttering words with the deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person.

He said the three had made remarks that insulted Islam following the comments allegedly made by DAP’s Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi on Haron’s death.

The IGP further urged political leaders to think before they tweet or make remarks publicly as they have followers who would follow in their footsteps.

"When a community leader like a Member of Parliament makes comments as he did, their followers will follow suit. When they see their ‘boss’ doing it, then they’ll do it too without thinking about the feelings of others,” Khalid said today after the Bukit Aman monthly assembly here today.

"I want to advise politicians like Jeff Ooi and others with itchy mouths, to be careful of what they say or post. Think about it, think ten times, before you post something that could offend people of other races and religions,” he added.

Last Friday, Ooi had allegedly tweeted, "Adios Harun Din, let there be peace”, following the death of the PAS spiritual adviser that morning.

Ooi had since said that he had no intention to belittle Haron’s family with the tweet, saying he was merely wishing Haron farewell.