KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — Police have kicked off a fresh investigation on sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee for their controversial Ramadan greeting photograph, believing their actions had triggered the kidnap and assault of a Chinese man in Shah Alam yesterday.
At a press conference here this afternoon, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that the couple — the two bloggers jointly known as “Alvivi”, which is a contraction of their names — would now be investigated under section 298A of the Penal Code and may even face arrest.
“They were previously being investigated by the Negri Sembilan police under section 298, which is a non-seizable offence... no arrests without warrant.
“But because of what happened from yesterday’s (Shah Alam) case, we opened new investigation papers under section 298A today, which is a seizable offence.
“I advise the couple to come forward to the KL police to allow us to record their statements,” Khalid said.
Section 298A includes a variety of offences, namely causing “disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will, or prejudicing, etc, the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion.”
According to reports on blogs and news website Terengganu Today, 24-year-old cybercafe operator Ng Mun Tatt was abducted from in front of a restaurant in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, by eight men, believed to be Malays, and taken into a Toyota Alphard at around 3am yesterday.
Citing an unnamed source, the report said the victim was stripped naked and taken to a jungle before he was left on the Duke highway near the exit to Setiawangsa.
The report added that the suspects had also scribbled on Ng’s chest, accusing him of having insulted the Malays and Islam on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
A photograph presumably of Ng that accompanied the report shows the man with the words “Saya hina agama Islam” emblazoned across his chest in black ink.
Ng, the website claimed, had allegedly admitted to committing the offence.
Khalid said four individuals believed to be involved in the assault case were nabbed in Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya this morning.
When asked the motive behind the assault, the IGP said it was believed to be out of revenge against Tan and Lee’s controversial Ramadan greeting.
They had allegedly posted a picture on Facebook last Friday, where the two were shown with a “Bak Kut Teh” pork dish, that is said to have affected the sensitivities of the Muslim community here.
“It was a reaction to Alvin and Vivian’s actions,” Khalid said.
“The scribbles on his (Ng’s) body was apparently because he had written some hurtful words regarding the religion and race of others,” he explained.
“I advice the public... do not make statements that would cause hurt or trigger the anger of other races because you see, if we just let it be, this is what happens... people would take revenge.”
Earlier today, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Ismail said the two may be charged with sedition for posting their Ramadan “greeting”, despite the government’s plan to repeal the colonial-era law.
“Consideration can be made and will be made for this,” Ghani was quoted as saying by news portal Malaysiakini after a seminar on cybercrime in Bangi.
Tan and Lee, aged 25 and 24 respectively, were yesterday grilled by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in a session that lasted for close to 12 hours, national news agency Bernama reported.
MCMC head of enforcement and industry surveillance Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin said that a probe would be carried out, saying that a report will be handed over to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Deputy Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Jailani Johari reportedly said that the two youths could be face charges under section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for displaying offensive pictures and words.
If convicted, the duo could be fined up to RM50,000 or be given a one year jail sentence, or both.
The Malaysian duo in their early twenties had late last year courted controversy over the videos and photographs of their sexual exploits that was posted on a blog.
