Community leaders report defamation of Head of State, minister to police
BEAUFORT (Aug 15): Two local leaders from Membakut filed police reports regarding a Facebook post linking Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Arif to the death of student Zara Qairina Mahathir.
District Native Court chief Banjimin Ondoi Dulau and Deputy Chief 1 of PBS/STAR Membakut Division, Jinori Mikil, filed separate reports at the Beaufort District Police Headquarters (IPD) here today.
They emphasized that the allegations in the post were entirely false, made without evidence, and clearly defamatory. Additionally, the claims attempted to tarnish the reputation of the individuals involved and the institution of TYT (Head of State), particularly the Governor of Sabah, Tun Musa Aman.
Banjimin stated the post could incite the public, provoke unrest, and interfere with ongoing police investigations.
'The statement also threatens the safety and dignity of the victim's family and the slandered individuals,' he said.
Jinori said he identified the post on a Facebook account on July 30, which alleged Mohd Arifin's child was involved in the incident.
'Mohd Arifin's child never attended the school in question. This accusation is completely untrue and could create negative public perception,' he explained.
He urged authorities to investigate the Facebook account, which also claimed the student was the granddaughter of the Sabah Head of State and the child of Mohd Arifin.
Both Banjimin and Jinori requested legal action under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, Sections 499–500 of the Penal Code (defamation) and Section 504 of the Penal Code (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace).
They further called on the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to act against the account owner and those spreading the defamatory content.
Besides the named account, they identified several others uploading identical content and have submitted details to relevant parties.
The leaders hope all state and federal authorities, including cyber law enforcement agencies, will take appropriate measures to protect the reputation and safety of the slandered parties, especially concerning the dignity of state leaders and the institution of the Sabah Head of State.
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