After a viral video showed someone swapping out the Malaysian flag for the flags of Sabah and Sarawak, the Royal Malaysia Police have kicked off an investigation under the Sedition Act 1948 and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain shared that the first round of investigations found that the incident happened in Melbourne, Australia, on September 16.
They took down the Jalur Gemilang
According to the New Straits Times, the police have received a total of 35 reports about the video, including 34 lodged in Sabah and one in Kuala Lumpur since then.
Razarudin pointed out that the investigation found a Malaysian from Sabah who owns a social media account was the one behind sharing the viral video.
In the video, a group of people were seen taking down the Jalur Gemilang and putting up the flags of Sabah and Sarawak in front of the Victoria Parliament building in Melbourne, Australia.
The video was allegedly to be a way to symbolise the end of Malaysia’s “colonisation” of Sabah and Sarawak, with plans to declare them as republics.
The man behind the video had prior criminal records
Razarudin explained that the man behind the video had 2 previous criminal records tied to Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
He was also charged with a different offence in Kota Kinabalu but is now out on RM3,000 bail while waiting for the case to be mentioned in November.
“We are looking into the connection between the suspect and the person captured on video performing the act of lowering the flag.”
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Also read: M’sian Tourists Go Against Established Rules by Waving National Flag at Taj Mahal, India
