KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — Police have arrested Perikatan Nasional (PN) figure Badrul Hisham Shaharin @ Chegubard but said tonight that it was not over the coalition’s plan for a rally this Saturday.
Instead, the Royal Malaysia Police’s (PDRM) Criminal Investigation Department said the politician was arrested at 8pm today after several reports were lodged against him over videos on the TikTok platform in which he allegedly accused the prime minister of selling out the country’s sovereignty.
Chegubard was arrested in the city tonight by police officers executing a warrant for his arrest issued by a magistrate in Kuala Lumpur.
“The PDRM wishes to emphasise that Chegubard’s arrest is unrelated to the rally that a group is planning to hold on September 16,” it said in a statement today.
Earlier today, some media outlets reported that Chegubard was arrested outside the PAS headquarters in the city.
PN is planning the rally to protest the discharge not amounting to acquittal granted to Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
According to the police, a report was lodged against Chegubard over a TikTok video from June, in which a person bearing his resemblance claimed the prime minister was ceding the Ambalat oil field off the coast of Sabah to Indonesia in order to resolve an 18-year maritime border conflict with the republic.
Police also chose to arrest the politician as he allegedly refused to cooperate for five separate investigations against him that were active. The investigations against him ranged from criminal defamation to sedition offences.
PN is planning to hold its rally this Saturday at the Kampung Baru Mosque, but police have advised the public against joining by saying its organisation was not compliant with the Peaceful Assembly Act.
