SHAH ALAM, Sept 25 — The police are duty-bound to take action against any offensive remarks made about the royal institution even if it means being perceived as "high-handed”, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador insisted today.

Although he respectfully accepted the criticism of Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah over the arrests of individuals accused of insulting her on social media, Abdul Hamid said the issue is sensitive to all Malaysians.

"They must be viewed very seriously. I have made it clear to my subordinates that anything to do with the three Rs of race, religion and royalty, cannot be treated lightly,” Abdul Hamid said during a forum here.

Speaking to moderator Tan Sri Johan Jaafar, he claimed the IGP’s role is to protect the royal institution as stated in the Federal Constitution.

However, he did not state which part of the Constitution he was referring to.

"Some might say the arrests were a sign of the police being high-handed. But bear in mind, we look at the contents of such remarks first.

"I myself am accused of being insulted on social media, it is not surprising. But when one makes threats, such as threatening to bring harm to the prime minister, then it is not a joke, and we must take action lest it gets out of hand,” Abdul Hamid said.

The Queen deactivated her Twitter account on September 11, but later explained that she did so for personal reasons, and not due to what some perceived to be attacks on her via social media.

However, this did not stop others from harassing and verbally lynching those accused of the attack.

The police also arrested Socialist Party of Malaysia member Khalid Ismath on September 13 for allegedly making offensive remarks about the Queen on social media.

When Tunku Azizah reactivated her Twitter account, she later expressed her anger and sadness over the detainments, saying she instructed Istana Negara not to make any police reports.

The Queen added that neither the King nor her have ever seen it necessary to make reports against those who allegedly slandered them over the years.