SARAWAK police have opened an investigation under the Sedition Act 1948 against a Facebook account holder who goes by the name “Engkecong Kampung”, after receiving a complaint over a September 23 posting. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police Mancha Ata, in a media conference at state contingent headquarters in Kuching, described the post as having been deemed to “contain seditious elements and has the potential to incite ethnic tensions in Sarawak”.

He said the account holder in the post had called on the Dayak ethnic community to gather at the Sibu court on October 17. 

He would not disclose what the court case was about except to say it was linked to a “Kanowit case”. 

A Facebook account under that name had put up a number of postings on an incident in Machan, Kanowit in August, allegedly between the local Dayaks and “gangsters”. 

“Engkecong Kampung” also ranted about alleged corruption and police collusion with the gangsters. 

Mancha said no arrest has been made as police have just opened the investigation paper. 

He said “Engkecong Kampung” is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for misuse of telecommunications equipment. 

If found guilty of sedition, “Engkecong Kampung” faces a fine of up to RM5,000 or a three-year jail sentence, or both. 

For flouting Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, he faces a fine of up to RM50,000 or jail of up to a year, or both. – September 29, 2023.