Cops Arrest A Woman For Posting That PM Muhyiddin Is Using COVID-19 To Stay In Power

In a media statement today, 12 April, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Huzir Mohamed said that they arrested the 48-year-old Chinese woman yesterday, 11 April.

"The gadget used to upload the statements were also seized and investigations are ongoing," Huzir said.

According to the statement, the woman's Facebook comments were "seditious in nature" and were attempting to humiliate the Malaysian government amidst the current crisis caused by COVID-19.

In one, the woman wrote that Malaysia is being "hijacked" by military force, alleging that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is abusing his power during COVID-19 to stay in power.

In another, she wrote that the reason Chinese people call Malays babi is that they are angry with them "for cheating them" through not paying back debts, causing them to go bankrupt.

"On 9 April, an investigation was conducted a Facebook account holder that goes by the name 'Wendy Shoo Wai Ching', who uploaded a seditious and potentially disruptive statement," CID director Huzir said.

The Section 4 of the Sedition Act specifies that anyone who "does or attempts to do, or makes any preparation to do, or conspires with any person to do" an act with seditious tendencies, such as uttering seditious words, or printing, publishing or importing seditious literature, is guilty of sedition."

The charge carries, for a first offence, a maximum fine of RM5,000 or three years' imprisonment or both, if found guilty. For a subsequent offence, the person can be jailed for a term not exceeding five years.

"The investigation is classified under Section 504 of the Penal Code, which is the "intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace" and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 which is the improper use of network facilities or network services," read the statement.

While Section 504 of the Penal Code carries a maximum of two years' imprisonment, Section 233 of the CMA 1998 carries a maximum fine of RM50,00 or one years' imprisonment or to both.

He said that police will not compromise when it comes to people making, producing or distributing statements or rumours that are seditious in nature and can disrupt the public order.