GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has come to the defence of online news portal Malaysiakini over its report that Penang Voluntary Patrol Unit chairman, Phee Boon Poh, who is also a state executive councillor, was treated like a criminal while under police custody.
Lim said the portal’s reporter was merely reporting what had happened as claimed by Phee.
“There was no need to lodge a report against the reporter,” he said referring to the 10 police reports lodged against news portal and its reporter yesterday.
The report was lodged by non-governmental organisation, Perkasa, which alleged that the story contained seditious remarks about the police.
Lim also said that the state government would extend all necessary assistance to the online news portal and the reporter.
Phee, as reported by Malaysiakini, had claimed he was treated like a criminal while being detained over the activities of the DAP-led state government's PPS which had been found to have failed to register with the Registrar of Societies.
According to the report, Phee had made the claim in a telephone interview with a Malaysiakini reporter.