Malaysian NGO calls for action to be taken against ex-PM Mahathir for 'seditious' remarks

PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A non-governmental organisation wants action to be taken against former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad for his blog comments, that allegedly incites the people to hate the Prime Minister.

Members of Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) lodged two police reports in Kuantan and Kuala Kubu Baru and gave the police 10 days to act against Tun Mahathir for making "seditious" remarks.

"Dr Mahathir's statement is a bald-faced attempt at inciting the public to hate Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak," said its Pahang coordinator Amirul Syazwan.

He questioned why Dr Mahathir was not called by the police "when many opposition leaders have been investigated, arrested and even charged for issuing nearly the same seditious statements".

Dr Mahathir, through his blog chedet.cc, had written about the 1Malaysia Development Berhad and Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu's murder.

Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar has said Dr Mahathir's comments were not seditious.

In Kuala Kubu Baru, SAMM's Hulu Selangor coordinator Megat Khairul Anau said Dr Mahathir should have been called up to give a statement.

Otherwise, the act of inciting hatred against the Prime Minister would be "halal" (legitimised), and those who print posters, flyers, banners and the like to raise the same issues as Dr Mahathir "should not be hauled up by the police".

Though Mr Khairul's report was scheduled to take place at 9.30am, he said there was a delay as the police system at the station experienced some downtime.

SAMM member Badrul Hisham Shahrin tweeted his displeasure over the faulty system earlier.

"Why is it so hard for @PDRMsia to receive a report regarding @chedet.cc's seditious statements? Suddenly the police report system is 'down' at IPD Hulu Selangor, it seems," he said.

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