Police in Malaysia said they had received 280 reports nationwide over a social media caricature alleged to insult the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, as they expanded their probe with the communications regulator. [1, 2]
Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the complaints were lodged by various parties condemning what he called “extreme provocation”, and said investigators were using Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955. [2]
The offensive content has circulated since April 25, while police said the material was believed to have been uploaded on May 2 through a Facebook account named “Lucas Liam”. [2]
Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission are working together to identify and arrest those responsible, Shazeli said, adding that the main focus was to track down people behind the post and that the public should leave the probe to the authorities. [2]
Police arrested a suspect believed to be in his 30s at 7:10 pm on Sunday in Bukit Mertajam. Officers seized two Samsung mobile phones and SIM cards they said were believed to have been used to upload the offensive content. [2]
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director M. Kumar said the arrest followed an investigation into the Facebook account “Lucas Liam”, which is believed to have uploaded the material on May 2. [2]
Police also said they had received 12 reports nationwide linked specifically to the suspect as the case is handled by the Classified Criminal Investigation Unit under multiple laws, including the Sedition Act, Penal Code and Communications and Multimedia Act. [2]
Investigators were still working on the case as of 5 pm Sunday, when the nationwide total stood at 280 reports, with the probe now focused on the suspect and the online account tied to the post. [1, 2]
