Cops target politicians, cartoonist over ‘seditious’ tweets criticising Anwar’s conviction

IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar considers the tweet by DAP's Nga Kor Ming as one that is 'just asking to be probed by the police'. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 10, 2015.The Inspector-General of Police has singled out two opposition politicians and a cartoonist, ordering that the trio be investigated over their posts on Twitter that criticised the conviction of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.

Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, in a series of tweets via his official account, said the the three – Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli and cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Alhaque (better known as Zunar) – will be investigated under the Sedition Act.

"Org di bwh ni sengaja mengundang tindakan @PDRMsia. Kita Akan ambil tindakan di bwh Akta Hasutan. (This person has deliberately asked for the police to take action against him. We will do so under the Sedition Act)," he said and posted a screen grab of Nga's tweet.

Nga, reacting to the Federal Court's decision to uphold the guilty verdict in Anwar's case, had posted: "Rakyat berdoa untuk DS Anwar tetapi tidak kesampaian. Sudah tiba masa rakyat menentang rejim yang Zalim." (The people prayed for DS Anwar but it never came to pass. It is time that the people oppose the cruel regime).

Zunar had tweeted shortly after Anwar's sentencing: "Barua2 berjubah hitam bangga jatuhkan hukuman. Habuan dari tuan politik pasti lumayan." (Those in the black robes were proud when passing sentence. The rewards from their political masters must be lucrative).

Rafizi, meanwhile, had posted a picture of a judge in a black robe and white wig that had dollar signs on it, believed to be referring to the opposition's claims that the prosecution against Anwar was politically motivated by the Federal government.

"@PDRMsia siasat juga tweet ini yg cuba menghasut Rakyat mempercayai Hakim di bayar," Khalid had tweeted about Rafizi's post. (Police will investigate this tweet that is trying to make the people believe the judges were paid).

Putrajaya has continuously used the Sedition Act to silence voices of dissent and to date, numerous opposition politicians, academicians, students and other individuals have been either charged or investigated under the draconian law.

The latest onslaught on opposition leaders comes as the Federal Court found Anwar guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium unit at Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, on June 26, 2008.

The apex court also upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal which had sentenced the opposition leader to five years' jail.

In the summary of his judgment, Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria found that claims of political conspiracy by the defence team remained an unsubstantiated allegation.

He also noted that while the medical report did not find any scarring or injury on Saiful’s anus, experts had said that this did not prove there was no penetration. He also agreed with the High Court and Court of Appeal that Saiful was a credible witness.

Arifin told the court that the samples were not compromised and the appellant’s argument that they were tampered with was unsustainable.

Anwar will serve out his sentence at the Sungai Buloh prison.

- TMI