PETALING JAYA: There was no need to arrest former journalist Sidek Kamiso for his tweet and seek a four-day remand order, said Malaysian Bar Council vice-president George Varughese (pix).
On Sept 19, Sidek was arrested under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which criminalises online content deemed offensive for his comments over the death of PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Dr Haron Din.
The second arrest took place on Sept 29 when Sidek was asked to go to Dang Wangi police station to record a statement for an alleged offence under Section 298A of the Penal Code, which punishes those who cause religious disharmony.
“The police could have called Sidek Kamiso in for questioning, as was done on Sept 29, 2016. Moreover, since the alleged offences arise from the same tweet, the police ought to have had sufficient information after the first arrest to determine the veracity of any subsequent complaint.