Activist arrested for alleged defamation over Tawau fires
KOTA KINABALU: Police yesterday detained a 28year-old youth activist from Semporna for allegedly committing defamation on social media regarding a recent spate of fires in Tawau.
Jufazli Shi Ahmad, a vocal critic of the Sabah government, was arrested in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, the FMT reported yesterday.
The report quoted Jufazil’s lawyer, Rajsurian Pillai, as saying that the activist was detained at the Dang Wangi police headquarters around 3pm after he went there on knowing that police were looking for him in connection with a police report made in Tawau.
Rajsurian said police had confiscated Jufazli’s mobile phone and later searched a house in Kuala Lumpur where he was staying to look for evidence.
The lawyer also told FMT that the police would fly Jufazli back to Tawau today.
“If they can’t get flight tickets tomorrow, police are to apply for a remand order tomorrow,” said Rajsurian, adding
Jufazil is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.”
Tawau police chief ACP Fadil Marsus confirmed the arrest and said Jufazil would be flown to Tawau today.
Tawau Municipal Council chairman Alijus Sipil recently hit out at an individual for claiming in a video on Facebook that the government and the council had masterminded the frequent fire incidents in Sabah’s east coast district.
Alijus described the statement made in the hour-long video recording as irresponsible and had baseless allegations.
On July 5 a fire destroyed 60 houses in Kampung Titingan, Tawau leaving more than 300 people homeless.
Alijus said he had instructed his officers to lodge a police report and seek legal advice on the next course of action.
He explained that one of the reasons for the fires in Tawau was that the houses were built close to one another.