Cops to record Muhyiddin’s statement again

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be questioned again tomorrow regarding a speech he delivered during the Johor by-elections that contained elements related to race, religion, and royalty. Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain stated that investigators are scheduled to meet Muhyiddin on Sept 14 to discuss an alleged statement made by him during a ceramah in Simpang Jeram, Johor. He added that the investigation has been classified under Section 4A(1) of the Election Offences Act.

During the ceramah, which took place in conjunction with the Simpang Jeram by-election, Muhyiddin supposedly stated that the Malays no longer held control over the government. A 29-minute video of the ceramah has been shared on Facebook. In the video, Muhyiddin can be heard saying, “The Malays no longer control the government, meaning the Malays have lost their power, true or not?” Muhyiddin, who serves as the Perikatan Nasional chairman, delivered the speech while campaigning for the coalition’s candidate in Simpang Jeram.

Furthermore, Muhyiddin is also under investigation for another potentially inflammatory statement made during a separate ceramah in Kempas, Johor, where he campaigned for the Pulai parliamentary by-election. Razarudin mentioned that the statement-taking process in the Kempas case has been completed, and they will soon submit the investigation paper to the Attorney General’s Chambers. This particular case is being investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act, which pertain to making statements with the intent to cause fear or alarm to the public or encourage criminal activities and misuse of networking facilities.

In the Kempas ceramah, Muhyiddin reportedly stated that voting for Pakatan Harapan’s Pulai parliamentary seat candidate, Suhaizan Kayat, was considered “haram” or forbidden in Islam. Yesterday, Muhyiddin arrived at the Malaysia Investment Development Authority building at 9.28 am to provide his statement. The police team arrived approximately 15 minutes later, and Muhyiddin was seen leaving the building at around 10.25 am. When asked if the statement process went smoothly, he gave a thumbs-up before entering a black Toyota MPV vehicle.