Three media-related NGOs today condemn the police's action in detaining five media personnel over a report published in news portal The Malaysian Insider (TMI) titled "Council of Rulers opposes amendments needed to enforce hudud".
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) felt that even though the police has the right to question anyone through complaints made by certain groups, the Sedition Act 1948 had been wrongly applied on the editors' case.
"The editors were merely doing their job as journalists. This action does not augur well for the Government’s promise to allow the Malaysian media to operate freely and without fear of their reporters being detained under questionable reasoning.
"NUJ believes all journalists have the right to share insights into cases with the public's interest at hand, to convey public opinion and that the reporter reports not of their own comments," it said in a statement.
The group further calls for the immediate released of the five -- TMI managing editor Lionel Morais, Malay section editor Amin Shah Iskandar, features and analysis editor Zulkifli Sulong, CEO Jahabar Sadiq and The Edge Publisher Ho Kay Tat.
READ: TMI chief executive and The Edge publisher arrested for sedition
The Institute of Journalists Malaysia (IoJ) said If the report was inaccurate, the convention would be for the Conference of Rulers to issue a statement correcting it and for TMI to make an apology or to retract the article.
To arrest and to seek the remand of the journalists over the report under the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, however, is a grossly disproportionate response to the report's contents and tone, and an arbitrary use of the law.
"The IoJ notes the report does not mention if TMI had approached the Conference of Rulers for verification. Journalistic diligence is required in reporting so that none is unfairly brought into public disrepute.
"But the IoJ understands that TMI would have welcomed the opportunity to publicly account for it," it said in a statement.
As for the Foreign Correspondents Club of Malaysia (FCCM), the group noted that police have a role to play in investigations should there be any question of law.
"We in no way vouch for the veracity of the article and welcome all stakeholders to hold journalists up to good ethical standards.
"However, if the authorities were cracking down on merely 'bad' reporting as opposed to alleged sedition, then it is sufficient to call on all witnesses and suspects to record their statements as there is no good reason to arrest and detain them overnight, much less to remand them for several more days," FCCM said in a statement.
Yesterday, Morais, Amin Shah and Zulkifli were taken to the Dang Wangi police station after being arrested over the TMI's March 25 report. But the magistrate's court this morning denied the application to remand them and they are expected to be freed later today.
READ: Remand application for TMI editors rejected, trio to be freed today
The trio were being investigated under Section 4 of the Sedition Act and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
As for Jahabar and Ho, they were arrested this morning and are currently still being detained.
The March 25 report "Council of Rulers opposes amendments needed to enforce hudud" claims that the Conference of Rulers had rejected an amendment to the federal law for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan.
However, the next day, the Conference of Rulers denied the report, saying the news was false, and lodged a police report on the matter.
Reports were also lodged by UMNO Youth -- one by its chief Khairy Jamaluddin and another by Kedah Youth chief Saiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin -- with the police as well as the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
An investigation by the commission and the police followed suit.
Sathesh Raj
Tue Mar 31 2015
(from left) Amin Shah, Zulkifli and Morais are expected to be freed later today.
Perdagangan Malaysia meningkat 7.1% tahun ke tahun kepada RM690.59 bilion - MITI
Perdagangan Malaysia bagi Januari hingga Mac 2024 mengekalkan trend peningkatan, merekodkan pertumbuhan 7.1 peratus tahun ke tahun kepada RM690.59 bilion, dengan lebihan dagangan RM34.22 bilion.
Keselamatan makanan, perubahan iklim agenda utama Malaysia selaku Pengerusi ASEAN
Memperkukuh keselamatan makanan serantau dan menangani cabaran mendesak perubahan iklim adalah antara agenda utama yang akan diketengahkan Malaysia apabila memegang tampuk Pengerusi ASEAN.
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: 'Konflik Israel-Iran bukan urusan kami' - FFC
Misi Break the Siege of Gaza Freedom Flotilla tetap akan diteruskan sekiranya konflik di antara Israel dan Iran terus meningkat.
KKR harap projek naik taraf 3 jalan di Johor dilaksana tahun depan - Ahmad Maslan
Kementerian Kerja Raya (KKR) berharap kerja naik taraf tiga jalan di Johor dapat dilaksanakan tahun hadapan susulan pertambahan kenderaan menggunakan jalan tersebut.
KDNK Malaysia suku pertama dianggar berkembang 3.9% dipacu sektor perkhidmatan - DOSM
Sektor pembinaan menunjukkan pertumbuhan yang signifikan sebanyak 9.8 peratus berbanding 3.6 peratus pada suku tahun sebelumnya, terutama dipacu oleh subsektor kejuruteraan awam.
MARGMA yakin permintaan sarung tangan getah global meningkat pada 2024
Persatuan Pengeluar Sarung Tangan Getah Malaysia (MARGMA) yakin permintaan global terhadap sarung tangan getah akan meningkat pada 2024.
Letusan Gunung Ruang: Kualiti udara di Sarawak tidak terjejas
Letusan Gunung Ruang di Indonesia tidak menjejaskan kualiti udara di Sarawak.
[LAPOR LANGSUNG] Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Sah! Tiga kapal tetap berlayar, redah laut Mediterranean 24 April ini
FFC mengesahkan tiga kapal yang terlibat dalam misi Break the Siege of Gaza Freedom Flotilla akan memulakan pelayaran pada 24 April depan.
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Sah! Tiga kapal tetap berlayar, redah laut Mediterranean 24 April ini
FFC mengesahkan tiga kapal yang terlibat dalam misi Break the Siege of Gaza Freedom Flotilla akan memulakan pelayaran pada 24 April 2024 bersamaan hari Rabu.
SkyTrax: Kedudukan KLIA jatuh ke tangga 71
Kedudukan KLIA kini di tangga ke-71 mengikut Senarai Lapangan Terbang Terbaik Dunia SkyTrax 2024, jatuh empat anak tangga berbanding tahun sebelumnya.
Biar Najib ketawa sebelum masuk penjara - SUA Mohamad Sabu
Najib kini berdepan dengan banyak kes mahkamah berkait skandal 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Hampir 10 tahun jadi PM, Najib masih tak faham proses jual beli - SUA
Wang deposit masih boleh dikembalikan sekiranya sesuatu urus niaga itu tidak jadi atau terbatal.
Peguam Mat Sabu akan hantar notis undang-undang kepada KJ
Setiausaha Akhbar Menteri Pertahanan, Amin Shah Iskandar berkata peguam Mohamad akan menghantar notis undang-undang kepada Khairy dalam jangkamasa terdekat.
Pengarang TMI dilayan secara profesional ketika dalam tahanan - Peguam
Tiga pengarang editor The Malaysian Insider dilayan secara profesional dan memuaskan ketika dalam tahanan.
NGO bidas tindakan polis tahan pengarang berita
Tiga persatuan media hari ini mengutuk tindakan pihak polis yang menahan pengarang, penerbit The Malaysian Insider.