Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar should come clean on whether the police probe against The Malaysian Insider (TMI) is aimed at fishing information about the news portal's reports on 1Malaysia Development Berhad, said DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang.

 

This follows the arrests of four TMI senior editors - Jahabar Sadiq, Lionel Morais, Amin Shah Iskandar, Zulkifli Sulong - and The Edge's publisher Ho Kay Tat. TMI is owned by The Edge Media Group.

 

The police are probing the news portal's report, which erroneously claimed that the Conference of Rulers had rejected hudud, under the Sedition Act. However, Jahabar has suggested yesterday that the investigation appeared to have gone beyond that.

 

"He (Khalid) should make a clear-cut statement that the arrest of the five top TMI journalists is not an excuse for the police to go on a 'fishing expedition', i.e. using their arrests to ferret information about TMI's coverage of the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal," said Lim in a statement.

 

Lim also slammed Khalid for his selective understanding of sedition, pointing out that the seditious remarks by Umno leaders do not see them being arrested.

 

The latest arrests follow a crackdown that has snared over 120 activists, politicians, lawyers and academics.

                                                                                               

"Khalid should belatedly realise that his job as the top cop of the world is not to declare war on Pakatan leaders, NGO activists and the free press exercising their constitutional and democratic right of freedom of speech, expression and assembly but to keep Malaysians safe from crime, the fear of crime - and now from terrorism and the fear of terrorism with the spectre of Islamic State coming to our shores," said Lim.

 

‘Suspend the police chief’

 

Lim, who is also Gelang Patah MP, called for Khalid to be suspended so as not to further damage the country's reputation.

 

"Will Prime Minister Najib Razak do what a prime minister worth his salt would have done already - immediately suspend Khalid as inspector-general of police before Khalid could cause more damage to national and international confidence on police professionalism, the rule of law and freedom of the press in Malaysia," he said.

 

The police arrested three TMI editors - Morais, Amin and Zulkifli - on Monday following a raid on the news portal’s office.

 

After spending a night in the lock-up, they were released yesterday when the police failed to obtain a remand from the Magistrate's Court.

 

Meanwhile, Ho and Jahabar were arrested yesterday when they turned up at the Dang Wangi police station for questioning.

 

According to lawyer Syahredzan Johan, the police have decided not to apply for a remand order for the duo.

"Their statement will be taken along with the IT consultant. Should be out after that," he said in a Twitter post this morning.