Fueling religious sentiments will be dealt with tough action - IGP

KUALA LUMPUR - No individual will escape action by the authorities for issuing statements that offend religious sensitivities, even if the statements were made on social websites outside the country.

Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police would still take tough action to ensure that people would not wantonly issue irresponsible statements as this could cause racial tension.

"Action will be taken against whatever comments made against any religion in Malaysia, even if made through social websites from outside the country," he said.

Khalid said this after witnessing the handing-over of duty by Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Syed Ismail Syed Azizan, who is going on compulsory retirement, to its acting director, Datuk Tajudin Isa, the CCID deputy director I.

Khalid was asked by reporters to comment on a statement made by a Facebook account owner who goes by the name of Man Namblast which touched on Hindu religious sensitivities during the recent Thaipusam celebration.

The IGP said police together with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission were now trying to detect the Facebook account owner involved.

"So far, there has been no arrest made. In such cases, we could sometimes detect the culprits early while there have also been instances where we took a bit more time, especially when the offending statements were made from abroad.

"But, we will still detect the offenders and take action against them," he added.

In another development, Khalid said the case of the random shooting at 46 business premises in Kota Kinabalu recently was considered solved after police arrested five men believed to be local gangsters and car repossessors.

In the incidents on Jan 10 and 11, a group of men fired gunshots at the premises, starting in Inanam, then on to Gaya Street, the Wawasan Plaza and Times Square areas, Luyang and Damai before ending in Penampang.

Bernama