KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — Two men and one woman have been arrested for posting comments on social media deemed insulting to Sultan Muhammad V after the Kelantan Ruler abdicated as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sunday.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamed Fuzi Harun in a statement today said all three are being investigated for sedition.
“They are being investigated under the Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948,” Mohamed Fuzi said in the statement.
The trio arrested yesterday are Eric Liew Chee Ling, 46, using the Facebook account name Eric Liew; 27-year-old Azham Akhtar Abdullah using the @azhamakhtar Twitter handle; and Nur Alia Astaman, 26, who made postings through her @aliaastaman Twitter handle.
The IGP then recommended prudence when posting comments on social media and cautioned against making remarks that could be seen as provocative.
“All are also advised against posting anything that is manipulative towards 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s resignation, which could trigger a negative perception towards the country’s Royal Institutions,” he said.
The three arrests add to a growing list individuals who have been investigated by the police over postings of a similar nature or who have been penalised by their employers.
Datuk Mohd Tamrin Abdul Ghafar, the son of late former deputy prime minister Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba, was questioned for over three hours by police in Johor over two of his blogposts.
Yesterday, Tenaga Nasional Berhad also suspended an employee over public comments deemed insulting to the the country’s royals.
Sultan Muhammad is the first Malay Ruler to ever step down as the Agong and abdicated slightly over two years into his five-year term.
