KUALA LUMPUR – It turns out that local rapper-turned-activist Ariz Ramli, better known by his stage name Caprice, is not missing, as per a police statement released last night.
In an Instagram post early this morning, he said the investigating officer managed to get a hold of him and that Interpol is not searching for him either.
“The media took it out of context and headlines made it seem like an unusual case, leading to people commenting that I was missing or on the run.
“Thank God, everything is ok. No criminal cases were opened and the Wangsa Maju police only asked for my statement.
“Thank you @pdrmsia_official for a clear and professional explanation. I want to thank them for reminding me of my safety in this area. God willing, after achieving a few of my milestones, I will safely reach Malaysia.”
Yesterday, the police said they requested Interpol’s assistance to trace the activist, as well as Cinta Gaza Malaysia chief executive officer Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri Kamaruzaman.
Wangsa Maju police chief Ashari Abu Samah said the request was made on August 16 to obtain their statements online, following a police report lodged against them by Muslim preacher Ebit Irawan Ibrahim Lew last month.
Ashari said police had tried to contact the duo through email and social media but failed, and had been forced to contact the international police body earlier this week.
“We have requested Interpol’s assistance to locate them as we cannot get hold of them.
“We texted Caprice on the contact number he uploaded on his Instagram account, but he has yet to respond,” he told The Vibes.
The case is being investigated under Section 500 and 504 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998, he added.
On July 21, Ebit lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi police district headquarters over numerous accusations aimed against him by Caprice on social media.
The latter had made allegations that Malaysians have been “deceived” by the famous good Samaritan on his Instagram posts, which he had later removed.
The controversy was allegedly sparked by Caprice last month when he reprimanded Ebit, claiming that Gazans had confronted him over photos of Ebit giving toys to Palestinian children.
At that time, he was on a humanitarian mission for Palestine. The rapper accused the preacher, who has made a name for himself aiding the needy, of using Gaza’s children to boost his social media presence.
However, the rapper was slammed by social media users who accused him of jealousy, seeing that Ebit had successfully entered Gaza while Caprice was left waiting for permission from Israeli authorities to enter the Holy Land.
As a result of the online spat and police report, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Abd Jalil Hassan warned the public against sensationalising the issue.
He said stern action will be taken without compromise against those who make and spread defamatory statements.
On July 19, Caprice apologised and removed his Instagram post after taunting the nation with a so-called “expose” and insinuating that some Malaysian humanitarian presence in Gaza may be politically motivated.
He then uploaded a post on Instagram seeking forgiveness from Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Idris Sultan Ibrahim, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Ebit, and Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Rahim. – The Vibes, August 22, 2021
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