SHAH ALAM, 5 Sept: The Angry Media Movement (GERAMM) strongly condemns the detention of a Malaysia Kini journalist, Susan Loone, under the Sedition Act 1948 because it is contrary to the spirit of freedom of the press.
In a press statement, the Secretariat said that the authorities should not have carried out the detention because journalists only report based on interviews with certain individuals.
Stating that a response explanation can be done if the is an error in reports, GERAMM also deemed the arrest as an attempt to scare media practitioners.
“Moreover, it was done a few hours after Susan cooperated with the police in giving her statement regarding the investigation into the controversial Voluntary Patrol Squad (PPS),” the statement said.
GERAMM is also concerned for Susan as there is an element of political interference as the PPS issue involves political interests of two opposite sides.
GERAMM described the detention as a repeat of the detention of the Sin Chew journalist, Tan Hoon Cheng, on September 12, 2008, who was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
“At that time, the government gave unreasonable excuses like wanting to ‘protect’ the reporter. Has the police made the arrest on the same grounds in Susan’s case?” the statement said.
Prior to this, Susan was investigated under the Sedition Act on her writing on an interview with a Penang Exco member, Phee Boon Poh, who was arrested by the police.
Susan was arrested when questioned at the Northeast Police Headquarters in Penang yesterday and her mobile phone was also seized by the authorities.
She was released at 11.45 last night after being detained for nearly seven hours.
Susan went to the Police Headquarters to give her statement at about 3 pm.
NS
