A high school student poses with her handphone showing her social media applications in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 28, 2024. Australia approved on Nov 28, 2024, a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an emotive debate that gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech. - Photo: Reuters
PUTRAJAYA: The Royal Malaysia Police and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) will hold a meeting soon to discuss police checks on mobile phones of the public.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has tasked Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain to provide a clear explanation from a law enforcement perspective.
"The police cannot inspect mobile phones without valid reasons. Such actions must be based on intelligence and cannot be carried out arbitrarily.
"If the police are not permitted to check mobile phones, how can we respond if there is information about an individual involved in criminal activities such as terrorism?" he told a press conference after inspecting preparations for the Asia International Security Summit and Expo (AISSE) 2025 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here on Sunday (Jan 19).
He was responding to a Suhakam statement on Saturday (Jan 18) in which it said that the police cannot arbitrarily check a person's mobile phone during roadblocks, as it is considered a violation of human rights.
On Jan 13, Razarudin reportedly said that police have the authority to check members of the public's mobile phones if there is suspicion or credible information regarding a person suspected of committing an offence.
This power is granted under Section 23(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which ensures that no communication contains obscene, offensive, threatening, or harmful content.
Saifuddin Nasution added that any individual who believes their privacy has been violated due to such actions can lodge a report for an investigation to be conducted. - Bernama
