KUALA LUMPUR – An aide to an MP, Noor Suhana Ishak, has called for laws allowing police officers to confiscate mobile phones from investigated persons to be amended.
The aide to Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman had her device seized by police at the Sentul police headquarters today when her statement was taken regarding a commotion during a Muda ceramah last year before the 15th general election (GE15).
Speaking to reporters outside the station, Noor Suhana, whose phone is still with the police, said the confiscation was “unnecessary” as the cops already had plenty of information on her.
“When I gave my statement, I saw that they (police) had files on everything about me. Since they have the required intelligence and resources to gather details, why do they still need to confiscate my phone?” she said.
She added that she had tagged Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Twitter regarding the matter as she believes it can be addressed if the Multimedia and Communications Act 1998 is amended.
Hi yb @fahmi_fadzil . My name is Suhana and tomorrow my friend, Farhan and I will be giving our statement regarding to one incident that happened last year. We will give our fullest cooperation to the police but I think our biggest concern is that our phone will be confiscate 1/
— Noor Suhana Ishak ?? ? (@cek_suhana) January 25, 2023
“I have not heard back from (Fahmi) so far, but for me, if this act is amended, then there will be no more confiscations during investigations,” she said, noting that she had also handed the police documents requested by the investigating officer.
Noor Suhana is being investigated under Section 233 of the Act involving the misuse of communications networks and Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamatory statements.
The first charge carries the punishment of imprisonment for up to a year, or a maximum fine of RM50,000 if convicted while the second carries a maximum two-year jail sentence, a fine, or both.
She also questioned why a police investigation into the case had just been opened despite the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) having initiated its own probe on October 27.
“Why has it taken the police so long to investigate (the incident)?
“We have not received any recent updates on the police report made by Muda either,”
Yesterday, it was reported that Noor Suhana and Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli’s press secretary Farhan Iqbal would be giving their statements to police today to facilitate probes into the incident.
The brief mayhem injured several spectators who had turned up in Muar for Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s campaign speeches ahead of GE15.
The havoc took place during the “Mega Muar” ceramah at Parit Jawa on October 16 and a second time at the “Malam Mesra Muo” event just a week later.
Farhan, who was then Syed Saddiq’s head of strategic communications, had accused Barisan Nasional linchpin Umno of being behind the incident.
Muar Umno Youth chief Helmy Abdul Latif subsequently denied the party wing’s involvement, stressing that he strongly rejects any form of provocation in politics. – The Vibes, January 26, 2023
