PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has condemned the recent assault involving veteran journalist Haresh Deol, according to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi said the Prime Minister expressed his outrage during the Cabinet meeting earlier, describing the attack by several individuals against Haresh Deol in Bangsar as unacceptable and deeply troubling.
"The Prime Minister conveyed his condemnation of the actions of several individuals who attacked senior journalist Haresh Deol. The incident is something that should never happen to any journalist, especially when they are carrying out their duties," Fahmi said during the post-Cabinet meeting press conference.
Fahmi added that the government will allow authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident.
"Haresh had informed the Prime Minister’s Office that he had just concluded a meeting at the time of the incident.
"We leave it to the authorities to carry out a full investigation.
"I understand the police have issued a recent statement confirming that one of the individuals involved has been detained, but we will let the authorities proceed with their investigations," he said.
The Prime Minister also underscored the need to protect journalists, stressing that acts of intimidation or violence against media practitioners must not be tolerated.
On Nov 25, Haresh, who is also the founder of the TwentyTwo13 portal, was assaulted by two individuals in Bangsar, with one of them recording the attack on a mobile phone.
Earlier on Friday (Nov 28), a 37-year-old delivery man, R. Krishnan, pleaded guilty to assaulting Haresh Deol in the incident at Bangsar.
R. Krishnan, who was charged together with another suspect still at large, was accused of voluntarily causing hurt to Haresh, 43, in front of the Tanjung Balai Group building on Jalan Telawi 3.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said the government also expressed its condolences to those affected by the Hong Kong fire involving a high-rise residential complex, which claimed more than 100 lives, with 200 people still missing.
On the floods in Hat Yai, Thailand, Fahmi said that the volunteer rescue teams operating there for the last five days will be returning home.
"The volunteer teams, comprised of 45 personnel, have completed their operations after five days helping stranded Malaysians in the area. The volunteers came from Johor, Perak, Selangor as well as the northern states, and have returned home today," he said.
Fahmi also updated that 38 university students and lecturers who were stranded in Hat Yai have returned to Malaysia following rescue efforts between Malaysian and Thai authorities.
