Activist under MCMC probe after criticising PM's Saudi trip

An activist and social media influencer was called for questioning today by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) over social media posts seen as referring to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Speaking to MalaysiaNow after two hours at the MCMC headquarters in Cyberjaya, Halimah Nasoha said the posts in question were made in March. 

However, she said she had never referred to any leader by name in the Facebook posts. 

"I never made a direct statement about the prime minister," she added. 

"And my posts were made to criticise, not insult, in the spirit of fair comment and public interest."

Halimah, who was accompanied by her lawyer Zaid Malek, said she was not told about the subject of the investigation until she was questioned this morning. 

Zaid meanwhile said that Halimah was being investigated under Section 233 (1)(A) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. 

He said if the prime minister was unhappy with his client's statements, there were other legal procedures which he described as more fair. 

"Why the special treatment?" he added. 

"The prime minister should not be using the MCMC machinery for this. He could just sue for defamation in court." 

He also questioned the stand of the coalition government, particularly Pakatan Harapan which had opposed the use of the act during its time in the opposition. 

"If the Madani government is indeed fair and wants to uphold human rights, the investigation should stop here until charges are brought in court. 

"Stop the probe against Halimah and any others as well." 

An MCMC source told MalaysiaNow that the investigation was centred on posts Halimah had made by the name of Yi Ma Nas, criticising Anwar's trip to Saudi Arabia in March. 

Halimah meanwhile said in a post on May 8 that she had been contacted by an individual who introduced himself as the deputy director of MCMC. 

In her post, which was accompanied by a screenshot of the conversation, she said she had been threatened by the person who told her to present herself at the agency if she did not want her workplace or residence raided by the authorities. 

Speaking today, Halimah said that police officers in full uniform and members of the Special Branch had also attended the session. 

"I was treated like a terrorist, as if I had committed a very serious crime," she said. 

"The MCMC officer was also there, and he asked me to delete the screenshot." 

Zaid said there had been no indication that Halimah would be called in for further questioning. 

"But we're not sure what the next move will be," he said.