KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Putrajaya defended today Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar’s frequent use of Twitter to order investigations.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the national police chief’s use of the social media site, who tweets from @KBAB51, to make official announcements was lawful and did not necessitate disciplinary action.
"Under the existing regulations, making announcements this way does not break any laws, and it makes the dissemination of information to the general public quick and easy.
"The ministry doesn't see the Inspector-General of Police as having committed any wrongdoing and has carried out his duty by issuing orders so that immediate action can be taken once an issue arises," Zahid said in a written parliamentary reply.
Zahid also said that the IGP had done no wrong so long as "details and the outcome of investigations" were not revealed on social media.
He was responding to a question by Padang Serai MP N. Surendran, who had asked if Khalid would face disciplinary action for issuing orders on Twitter to the police force to carry out investigations.
The IGP has been a permanent fixture on Twitter and often uses it to make official announcements, most recently on April 1 when he ordered the Police Cyber Investigation Response Centre to investigate Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) Youth vice-chief Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin over an allegedly "seditious" statement.
Last year, Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH) launched a Twitter campaign against Khalid, urging users to report the national police chief for online abuse.
