Stringent action against those spreading slanders - IGP

KUALA LUMPUR:The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) view seriously and will take stringent action against individuals who deliberately record and disseminate videos or pictures of policemen who are on duty which can raise defamations and disturb investigations.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador said the irresponsible acts could create anxiety and wrong perceptions in society resulting in the existence of an assumption that the security force oppressed the public.

‘’We view seriously view the ill-intentioned action of viraling videos or pictures of an incident purportedly that the police were acting in opposition to the law.

‘’The police always respect the freedom of speech, but it must be within a scope that is allowed under the law.

He also warned that those perpetrating the offences could be investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and Section 500 of the Penal Code for slandering.

He was commenting on the action of a 24-year-old man who recorded visuals of a team of policemen were conducting a raid with his cellphone and aired it through Facebook Live. He was detained at a house in Petaling Jaya on Nov 7.

The raid was made in an investigation under the Sedition Act involving the University Malaya Association of New Youth. (UMANY)

Prior to this, the media reported the Bukit Aman CID (Investigation and Legal) deputy director Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid as saying that police were conducting an investigation on a senior leader of UMANY under the Sedition Act on a controversial statement involving the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

-- BERNAMA