[UPDATED] Police open probe into PAS’ Baling MP’s claim of Anwar being an Israeli agent 

KUALA LUMPUR – Bukit Aman has initiated an investigation into PAS’ Baling MP Hassan Saad over his allegations, accusing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of being an Israeli agent.

In a brief statement, the Royal Malaysian Police secretary Datuk Noorsiah Mohd Saaduddin said the case is being handled by its Classified Criminal Investigation Unit.

“The police confirm receiving a report pertaining to an accusation made by Hassan that the prime minister is an agent of Israel.”

“The case has been classified under Section 504 and 500 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998. 

Section 500 of the Penal Code provides that whoever defames another individual shall be punished with up to two years of imprisonment or fine, while Section 504 stipulates that those who intentionally insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace will be deemed to have committed a crime.

The latter also carries a maximum prison term of two years and a fine.

Meanwhile, Section 233 of the CMA concerns the improper use of network facilities or services to issue false and indecent comments or to communicate with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person. Those found guilty will be liable to a maximum imprisonment of one year and fined up to RM50,000.

Noorsiah, however, did not specify details of the claim purportedly made by Hassan.

Earlier today, Putrajaya PKR Youth lodged a police report urging the authorities to probe into allegations portraying Anwar, who is party president, as an agent of Israel.

Its chief Syazreen Ezam Saidi said the allegations, which played on racial and religious sentiments, threaten to tarnish Anwar’s reputation and the country’s harmony and sovereignty.

He added that the accusations have made it look as though Anwar was made prime minister with Israel’s help, rather than through the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Previously, a Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporter had shared an audio recording of a woman claiming that PAS had slandered Anwar by accusing him of using Israel’s influence to expedite his appointment as the new prime minister. She said a PAS lawmaker informed her of this.

Separately, Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, during the election campaigns, urged the public against voting for PH, labelling the coalition as a “big danger”.

He also suggested that Christians are supposedly working in concert with a group of Jews to promote and Christianise Malaysians, and that PH will sponsor them saying his comments have been taken out of context by certain quarters to create a false narrative against him. – The Vibes, November 29, 2022

Editor’s note: It was earlier reported here that the investigation was initiated into PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s allegations. This was based on an earlier police statement which has since been rectified to reflect the correct identity of the person under investigation.