Police Probe Kulai Mp Over Four Year Old Social Media Post

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The police are investigating Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching over a social media post she shared in April 2017.
When contacted, the opposition lawmaker said the post was originally by activist-artist Fahmi Reza and she had shared it on her official Facebook along with the caption "pertahankan kebebasan berekspresi, kebebasan bersatire" (defend the freedom to express, freedom to be satirical). 
“It was a post regarding freedom of expression,” she said briefly without going into specifics.
Teo (above) elaborated in a statement that the police had informed her the probe was being conducted under Section 504 of the Penal Code (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace).
The police are also probing the post under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (improper use of network facilities or network service etc).
She was questioned yesterday while accompanied by her lawyer Syahredzan Johan.
“I stand by what I wrote, which was to defend the right to expression protected by Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.
“Police resources should be used to fight actual crimes impacting actual victims and not be a tool to intimidate the public from speaking their mind.
“An act of being critical of the government or governing institutions cannot be treated as a crime,” Teo wrote on Facebook.
Article 10 stipulates that every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression, to assemble peaceably without arms, and to form associations.
Teo did not specify the exact post she was being investigated for.

Criticism not a crime
In response, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) expressed solidarity with Teo.
The NGO underscored that enforcement authorities should not be used to harass dissenters.
Neither should criticism of the government be treated as a crime.
“CIJ stands with Teo for defending her right to freedom of expression. We concur with Teo that authorities should focus on combating crime and not be a political tool to intimidate or harass the public, especially parliamentarians, for speaking their mind.
“The rakyat need to hear the views of all parliamentarians in response to the various ongoing crises in Malaysia. Hence, parliamentarians’ act of criticising the government or governing institutions cannot be treated as a crime.
“We need to ensure proper checks and balances for a better and healthy democratic nation,” it said in a brief statement on Twitter.

- Mkini

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