CIVIL SERVANT ARRESTED OVER ALLEGED INSULTS TO PROPHET MUHAMMAD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) -- A civil servant has been arrested by police for allegedly posting a comment insulting Prophet Muhammad SAW on Facebook recently.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the arrest was made after police received a report from a 35-year-old man last Tuesday.

He said an investigation found that the male suspect, along with two other users, had allegedly posted offensive comments about Prophet Muhammad SAW on a news post regarding Malaysia’s strong condemnation of the killing of eight humanitarian workers from the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (MAPIM) in an airstrike in Gaza last Saturday.

Following this, Razarudin said the 29-year-old pharmacist was detained and remanded for two days until tomorrow to assist in investigations.

"The case is being investigated under Section 298A of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998," he said when contacted today.

Razarudin stressed that the police take any act of insulting religions in the country seriously, as it could affect harmony and public order.

Yesterday, Minister of National Unity Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang urged the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to investigate and take stern action against a Facebook account holder accused of insulting Prophet Muhammad SAW in a social media post.

Aaron said that insulting any religion not only violates the principles of harmony and national unity but could also have serious consequences for peace and public order.

-- BERNAMA