Would cops probe pro-govt leaders for five-year-old allegations? DAP leader asks amid investigation into Kulai MP

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today condemned the police for investigating its Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching over her social media post dating back to April 2017.

Lim accused the police of selective action and intimidation against an Opposition lawmaker by initiating investigations five years after it had taken place.

“Will the police take similar action against pro-government leaders who make baseless allegations in their Facebook posts and news reports more than five years ago?” he asked in a statement.

The Bagan MP noted that the investigation is under Section 504 of the Penal Code (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace) as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (improper use of network facilities or network service, etc).

“However, Teo has never been sued for defamation in her private capacity.

“Teo had only reposted on her official Facebook along with the caption ‘pertahankan kebebasan berekspresi, kebebasan bersatire’ [defend the freedom to express, freedom to be satirical],” he said.

Lim said investigating Teo for this matter is a complete waste of police resources.

“Instead, they should be focused on preventing police failures such as the serial custodial deaths,” he said.

He highlighted the latest report today that involved the death of a 63-year old Malay man at the lockup of the Taiping district police headquarters in Perak.

“It is regrettable that the police appears to be doing the government’s dirty work to persecute opposition politicians,” Lim said.

He said that the police should not allow itself to be politicised and used by what could be a civil matter.

“Such investigations should be stopped, particularly on a matter five years after the fact,” he said.

Lim also claim Teo was not the only victim of double standards and political intimidation.

He pointed to separate probes on PKR youth and Muda leaders who protested against Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Tan Sri Azam Baki, and against Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik who was present outside the commission’s headquarters in Putrajaya during a handover of a memorandum to an anti-graft representative.