KUCHING, Jan 24 — Police have arrested a 68-year-old man in Marudi for allegedly posting racially provocative and Islamophobic remarks on social media.

Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said the man was arrested by personnel from the Marudi district police headquarters at around 11.45am yesterday, following a police report lodged at 9.08am the same day.

“Also seized was a mobile phone believed to have been used to make the comment.

“The comment is deemed to have incited hatred towards Islam and has the potential to disrupt harmony and racial unity in the nation.

“The case is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233(2) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,” he said in a statement.

He added that the post had gone viral on social media and could pose a threat to public peace and safety if left unchecked. To date, seven reports have been lodged by members of the public.

“Further investigations are ongoing, including applications to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to verify the ownership of the Facebook account involved and to block access to the offending content,” he said.

Mohamad Zainal stressed that any act targeting religious or racial sensitivities, or undermining communal harmony, constitutes a serious offence and will not be tolerated.

Firm action, he said, will be taken against any individual who abuses social media platforms to spread seditious, hateful or provocative content. — The Borneo Post