Cops free Ho and Jahabar

KUALA LUMPUR: The Edge publisher Ho Kay Tat and The Malaysian Insider’s chief executive officer Jahabar Sadiq have been released on police bail.

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Zainuddin Ahmad said the duo were released at 10.30am before being taken to the Dang Wangi police headquarters to have their statements recorded.

He said the case is still being investigated by the Bukit Aman Classified Crimes Unit (D5).

“We are waiting for further instructions from the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” said SAC Zainuddin.

However, items confiscated from the portal’s office in Mutiara Damansara, which include mobile phones and laptops, would not be returned.

Free to go: Ho and Jahabar (below) both left the Dang Wangi police headquarters after questioning.

City deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Law Hong Soon said the police were going by the rule of law with regard to the seizure of the electronics items.

“They were confiscated to help in our investigations. If they can be used as evidence in court, we will not be returning them.

“That’s the legal process,” he added.

Ho and Jahabar were detained on Tuesday under the Sedition Act over an article published by The Malaysian Insider (TMI) last week.

According to the article, the Conference of Rulers had reportedly rejected proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 during a meeting on March 11.

The article, which quoted sources, claimed that the rejection of the amendments to the federal Act was made at a meeting attended by all Malay Rulers or their representatives.

However, the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal Datuk Seri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad denied issuing any statement on hudud in Kelantan and had lodged a police report.

Ho said the police and Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission officers had treated him and Jahabar well.

Jahabar, who exited the station at 12.35pm, was all smiles upon spotting journalists camped outside.

“They took our statements very professionally. I have to thank the police for being very kind. I still don’t know why they arrested us under the Sedition Act,” he said.

The Malaysian Insider’s chief executive officer Jahabar Sadiq speaking to reporters at the Dang Wangi police headquarters.

Among those present at the Dang Wangi police headquarters to support the duo were former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, DAP national publicity chief Tony Pua and former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

Ambiga condemned the arrests, saying that the police action was wrong.

“I don’t think that they should have been arrested, I do not think they should have been handcuffed,” she said.

Centre for Political Awareness head Datuk Huan Cheng Guan however defended the arrests, saying that TMI must take responsibility for its mischievous habit of spinning information.“The arrest has nothing to do with stifling freedom of speech or scaring journalists to toe the line.

“No one is above the law. You break the law, face the music,” he said in a statement.

Huan said action had to be taken because TMI “reported an untruth and made it seem like it happened” and refused to amend the article which is still on the portal’s website.

Pua said the arrests were political in nature and that the police had earlier targeted politicians before moving on to activists.

“It’s quite clear now that they are moving on to the media.

“They are trying to shut down the channels where the critics are able to convey their messages to the public,” he said.

Zaid said that the arrests were unnecessary and was a form of harassment.

“If you make a mistake, you can always rectify the mistake,” he said.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the police had to be “given the opportunity” to investigate the matter.

He said it would be best if the matter was left to the police to handle.