Check your facts first, Zahid tells media

Conventional and new media must adhere to journalism ethics and authenticity before publishing any news as stories based on speculations would create unrest in the country, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid who was commenting about the detention of the three editors from news portal The Malaysian Insider (TMI) said the media should avoid from publishing news without fundamental truths.

"They were detained because they (TMI) committed to false reporting. No decision was made by the Conference of Rulers as reported in the news portal," he said when met at Astro Awani here, Monday.

TMI managing editor, Lionel Morais, features and analysis editor Zulkifli Sulong and Bahasa news editor, Amin Iskandar were arrested over a hudud report linked to the Conference of Rulers last week.

The arrest was a result of a series of complaints lodged by Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs in Parliament over TMI’s alleged report on the Conference of Rulers’ verdict on hudud law.

At Press time, it was learnt that about a dozen of police officials led by ASP, Wan Aedil from the Bukit Aman Classified Investigation Unit forayed the TMI premises located in Mutiara Damasara in Petaling Jaya at approximately 5.50pm.

A group of personnel from the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) led by Mohd Khairul AImi Daud were also present during the arrest. Among the items confiscated included several laptops and mobile phones.

It is understood that the keeper of the royal seal had raised the matter to the police as well.

TMI in a report said the trio was represented by lawyer Syahredzan Johan and were investigated under Section 4 of the Sedition Act and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.