MUHYIDDIN, ACCUSED OF MAKING SOME OF THE MOST RACIST SPEECHES, NOW CLAIMS HE ‘VALUES FREE SPEECH BUT WITH LIMITATION’ – EVEN AS MAHATHIR, HIS ON-OFF MENTOR, GETS HAULED UP BY COPS OVER RACIST FB POSTS – WHILE A PRO-PN NEWS PORTAL GETS BLOCKED BY MCMC
I value free speech, but it has limits, says Muhyiddin
The former prime minister says members of the government administration must be open to accepting comments and criticisms from the public.
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin acknowledged today that free speech guaranteed by the Federal Constitution must be protected and safeguarded.
Testifying in a defamation suit against Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi, the Bersatu president also said members in the government administration must be open to accepting comments and criticism from the public.
“Every citizen has the right to raise legitimate issues and I have taken an oath to protect and safeguard them,” he said when cross-examined by Puad’s lawyer, G Rajasingam.
Muhyiddin said he also remembered taking the oath to protect, defend and preserve the constitution in his capacity as an MP and when he was a minister and prime minister.
“Article 10 guarantees free speech, but with limitation,” he said, adding that he valued the importance of free speech.
On March 1, 2021, the Pagoh MP filed a suit against Puad, the Johor state assembly speaker, over a Facebook post titled “Kuarantin Pun Ada Dua Darjat”.
Muhyiddin contends that Puad’s post implied that the former prime minister had refused to undergo a 10-day quarantine upon his return from an official visit to Indonesia.
He said the post contained statements that were plainly untrue, unsubstantiated and mischievous, and were defamatory of him.
He is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages from Puad.
Puad claims that his posting on Feb 9, 2021 was not defamatory of Muhyiddin as it only questioned the discrepancy of treatment relating to Covid-19 quarantine order between ministers and the public.
Under cross-examination by Rajasingam, Muhyiddin insisted that the post was published maliciously.
He said the RM10 million damages sought were reasonable as Puad had defamed him.
Having agreed with Rajasingam that Puad was his political rival, Muhyiddin said: “I disagree that the amount was placed to silence the defendant (Puad).”
Muhyiddin also admitted he knew of the dismissal by the High Court of his application for an inter partes injunction on Nov 26, 2021, but did not appeal the decision to the Court of Appeal.
He agreed with the lawyer that Puad did not take advantage of the ruling by republishing his post.
Puad is also represented by lawyers Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, Justin Tong and Ally Ong, while counsel Rosli Dahlan, Bahri Yeow, Hayden Tan and Ling Siew Hui are appearing for Muhyiddin.
The hearing before Justice Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz has been adjourned to Nov 22. FMT
Cops take statement from Dr M over FB posts
Two police reports were lodged against the former prime minister after he discussed Malaysia’s identity and history in two Facebook posts in July.
PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was called by the police to give a statement today in connection with an ongoing investigation, sources said.
It is understood the police recorded his statement following the lodging of two reports over a Facebook post on July 27.
On July 27, Mahathir published two Facebook posts, with one asserting that Malaysia should be recognised primarily as a Malay country rather than a multiracial one.
“Singapore has, but the Malay states and the Borneo states have not been conquered. They remain the countries of the indigenous definitive people,” he said.
It is not known which of the Facebook posts is under investigation. FMT
MCMC bans another online portal, TV Pertiwi lodges police report
Two days after its official TikTok account was banned, online portal TV Pertiwi found its website to be inaccessible from certain providers.
TV Pertiwi this morning lodged a police report in Bangi to seek explanation from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) over reasons that it has been blocked.
TV Pertiwi CEO Mohd Firdaus Salleh Hudin also demanded an explanation from the government over the DNS block arbitrarily enforced by MCMC.
In a statement on its Facebook account, where the media organisation continues to upload its content and live updates, Firdaus yesterday said TV Pertiwi’s management was not notified of the block.
“Restriction on the portal was detected from at least two Internet Service Providers, Maxis and Unifi.
“This restriction is highly unreasonable and goes against the government’s call for press freedom and freedom of expression, particularly parties from Pakatan Harapan, which they had made as then opposition,” said Firdaus.
‘Come clean’
“TV Pertiwi as an independent media portal has a right to be given justice, and the right to air contents including those which are critical of the government, in line with the right to press freedom and freedom of speech,” he said.
TV Pertiwi, launched in 2021, is owned by Kerengga Merah Sdn Bhd and operates at the same location as NGO Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma).
TV Pertiwi chairperson Norzila Baharin is also Isma’s women’s chief.
Previously, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil has given his guarantee that news websites will not be blocked pending investigations by the MCMC.
He said this last week when asked about another MCMC block against UtusanTV – an online portal run by former staff of Utusan Malaysia, with no current affiliations to the publication now run by Media Mulia. MKINI
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