Malay blogger held for sedition
2008-08-08 19:07
Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian authorities have arrested a political blogger for possible sedition after he allegedly insulted police on his website, an official said on Friday.
Police detained Abdul Rashid Abu Bakar under the Sedition Act late on Wednesday to question him about a blog entry that he posted last month, said Victor Sanjos, a police official in the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department.
Abdul Rashid defaced the Royal Malaysian Police's logo by replacing its image of a tiger with a dog and indicated in his comments that he believed Chinese criminal gangs controlled police data systems, Sanjos said.
"His comments were very seditious," Sanjos said.
Sanjos indicated police may release Abdul Rashid soon because they need more time to investigate before deciding whether to charge him.
Sedition is punishable by up to three years in prison in Malaysia.
Some of Malaysia's most popular blogs offer strongly anti-government commentaries and present themselves as a substitute for mainstream media, which are controlled by political parties or closely linked to them.
Government officials often criticise bloggers for allegedly spreading false information and inciting hatred toward authorities.
Earlier this year, a well-known blogger, Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin, was charged with sedition for writing an article that implied the deputy prime minister was involved in a high-profile murder. Raja Petra's trial is scheduled to begin in October.
- AP