JOHOR BARU: Three senior citizens, aged 61, 64 and 65, have been arrested for posting “derogatory or seditious remarks” on Facebook concerning the recent traffic accident which killed eight teenage cyclists, and seriously injured eight others here.
Johor police chief Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said a report was lodged at about 1pm yesterday about two of the Facebook posts, which made their rounds on social media sites.
Najmuddin said police acted promptly on the case, as it was deemed that the remarks could create public disunity.
The 61-year-old was arrested in Taman Sri Gombak, Batu Caves, Selangor at 11pm yesterday, while the second man was arrested at Villa Taman Tasik, Bandar Sri Permaisuri, Kuala Lumpur, at 2am today.
Both men are being investigated under Section 233(1) (a) of the Multimedia and Communications Act 1998, and Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation.
In a separate press release, Najmuddin said police arrested a 65-year-old man in Ipoh, Perak, last night for allegedly inciting the public, via Facebook, to join a gathering of bicycle groups in Johor, and to seek an audience with the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar on the gathering.
The arrest was made at 10pm last night following a report lodged over the man's “seditious remark” on Facebook.
In the Feb 18 accident, eight teenagers, who were riding their modified bicycles in a group of between 30 and 40 youths, were killed when a car ploughed into them at the Inner Ring Road near the Mahmoodiah Muslim Cemetery here at about 3am.