Cops call in activist for allegedly insulting Pahang regent in tweet

KUALA LUMPUR – Head of Pahang Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) has been summoned for police questioning for allegedly insulting the Pahang regent in a now-deleted Twitter post.

Noor Jehan Abu Bakar will be heading to the Kuantan district police headquarters around 3pm today for questioning over a Twitter post she allegedly posted on July 18. 

She claimed that Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and other high-ranking officers were two hours late for the Buffer Zone Ecosystem Restoration Programme – a tree-planting event in Pantai Chenor, Kemaman, Terengganu on the same day. 

Her posting subsequently received backlash, with some people accusing her of attempting to tarnish the good name of Tengku Hassanal and event organisers Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and the Kuantan City Council. 

A viral message on WhatsApp also claimed that she was attempting to discredit the number of trees planted by VIPs as an MNS event the previous day apparently saw more trees being planted.

Speaking to The Vibes, Noor Jehan said she did not intend to slander anyone and was instead venting her frustrations over having to wait for two hours for the programme to begin. 

“The whole point of my (Twitter) thread was to highlight how I felt insulted since I had gotten up early in the morning to get to the event on time, only to sit around waiting for VIPs to arrive hours after they were supposed to show up. 

“We should not tolerate tardiness, no matter who commits it. Our time is equally valuable to that of VIPs.”

She added that she is confused over why she is being investigated as she only shared her experience with her followers. 

Also, she said as many government officials arrived on time for the event, their productivity was affected by the last-minute extension to the programme.

Since last Friday, she claimed that several TNB and the Kuantan City Council staffers had been called in by the police for questioning over her tweets.

Kuantan district police chief Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu and an inspector from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) believed to be in charge of the case told The Vibes that they will only be able to provide updates after questioning Noor Jehan.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Parti Aspirasi Sains Malaysia expressed support for Noor Jehan, who is also a central executive member of the party. 

“Sains believes that (Noor Jehan) did not commit any wrongdoing. The party is in solidarity with her and we urge authorities to immediately stop intimidating people who are only expressing their views.”

It also suggested for authorities to direct their energy and efforts to escort VIPs who “have been convicted for charges said to be the biggest kleptocratic crime in the world”. 

This is not the first time this year that Pahang authorities are cracking down on leaders from environmental NGOs. 

In February,  former Khazanah Alam Malaysia president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil, 60, was slapped with a lawyer’s letter from the Pahang government seeking an apology and RM1 million in damages after she spoke on deforestation and logging in the state. 

The notice alleged that her statements had put the state government in a bad light and subjected it to accusations from the public that “it is a government which is irresponsible, deceitful, and lacks integrity”.

On March 15, the activist pleaded not guilty in the Raub sessions court to three charges of unlawful occupation of state land. 

The land involved is alleged to have been turned into a resort area for business activities by Tanah Aina Fareena Cafe & Restaurant, Tanah Aina Fahad Glamping Resort, and Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Exclusive Eco Resort.  

The court had recently dismissed the prosecution’s application for a gag order against Shariffa Sabrina to prevent her from making any statement on her state land encroachment case to the media, claiming that the submission failed to meet set conditions. – The Vibes, July 25, 2022