KUALA LUMPUR – Police have clarified that a suspect in investigations into alleged online slander against the prime minister’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, refused to surrender computerised data.
In a statement today, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain refuted claims that police had branded the suspect uncooperative after refusing to answer questions when giving a recorded statement.
“On the contrary, the (suspect’s) refusal to cooperate was seen in the context of failure to provide information to access computerised data, as allowed under Section 116B of the Criminal Procedure Code and Section 249 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998.
“Based on the laws, a police officer conducting a search must be given access to computerised data, including (the handing over of) access, encryption and decryption codes, as well as software and hardware, and any other methods required to comprehend the data.”
Adding that the investigation paper on the case has been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Shuhaily said there was no abuse of power during police probes as investigations were conducted professionally based on legal allocations.
While the statement does not name the suspect, it was previously reported that Perikatan Nasional’s social media content provider, Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah, had refused to answer questions during probes into supposedly defamatory posts against Dr Wan Azizah.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said Syarul Ema, also known as “Ratu Naga”, was asked 33 questions on Monday, following which police did not obtain any information related to the case as the suspect failed to cooperate.
Syarul Ema’s lawyer, Zaid Malek, said in a statement yesterday that his client had the right to remain silent, claiming that it is “blatantly false” for Razarudin to say that Syarul Ema had not cooperated as she had shown “full regard” for the legal process by attending the questioning.
Syarul Ema was summoned by police over her social media post showcasing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Instagram account, which uploaded pictures of UN General Assembly leaders and their wives, including Dr Wan Azizah, on the sidelines of the event.
On October 22, Bandar Tun Razak PKR lodged three police reports against three social media users for allegedly uploading a post that was deemed defamatory against Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the Bandar Tun Razak MP.
PKR Youth had also lodged a police report on the matter on the same day.
In April 2020, Syarul said she was sacked from her post as Wanita PKR information chief and stripped of her membership without reason. – November 1, 2023