KOTA KINABALU: The police have summoned a man believed to have made derogatory remarks about the word "Allah" a day before.
The man, whose Facebook handle is "Ricky Shane CA", was said to have posted derogatory words in the comment section of a news portal.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Abdullah confirmed receiving a report regarding the incident.
"The man has been called in for initial questioning at the police station.
"The case is being investigated under Section 298 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998," he said.
Meanwhile, members of the public who know the identity of the man were seen attempting to locate the suspect at his residence, presumably to inquire about the reasons behind his hurtful comments towards Muslims.
A viral video on social media showed a group of individuals waiting for the suspect outside the entrance to the lobby of a condominium, which serves as the suspect's residence in this city.
However, access to the lobby entrance was guarded by security personnel, and the group dispersed upon seeing the suspect entering the elevator.
The video also captured voices of people expressing their inability to accept the suspect's actions even after he had apologised.
Through another post on social media, the suspect uploaded an apology to the Muslim community for all his comments and what he had written.
He also confessed to being a recent convert to Islam, having embraced the religion just two years ago, and acknowledged the need for further learning about matters related to the faith.
Meanwhile, the people of Sabah were reminded not to engage in any form of insult towards any religion or belief practiced by the community in this country.
Assistant Minister to the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan said any issues related to the 3Rs, namely religion, race, and royal institution, should be completely avoided in order to preserve unity.
He said that if issues related to the 3Rs arise, they not only tarnish the principle of unity but also subject the perpetrators to legal action.
"This call is in line with the warning from the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who emphasised that those who seek to sow seeds of division and challenge the constitution cannot be tolerated."