POLICE raided the office of international broadcaster Al Jazeera at G Tower on Jalan Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon over its documentary on Putrajaya’s treatment of undocumented migrants during the movement control order (MCO).

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department deputy director Mior Faridalathrash Wahid confirmed the raid to The Malaysian Insight, saying it took place around 2pm today.

“Investigations are ongoing,” he added.

Al Jazeera confirmed the raid in a statement and said two computers were seized.

“Conducting a raid on our office and seizing computers is a troubling escalation in the authorities’ crackdown on media freedom,” said Giles Trendle, managing director of Al Jazeera English.

“Al Jazeera calls upon the Malaysian authorities to cease this criminal investigation into our journalists,” Trendle added in standing by the quality and impartiality of Al Jazeera’s journalism.

The Qatar-headquartered broadcaster is under investigation for its July 3 documentary Locked up in Malaysia’s Lockdown, which looked at how undocumented migrants were rounded up during the MCO. 

It also interviewed a migrant worker, Bangladeshi Mohamad Rayhan Kabir, who said the actions against undocumented migrants were discriminatory.

For his comments in the documentary, Rayhan has been arrested and is to be deported from Malaysia, and also blacklisted from entering the country.

Rights groups have urged Putrajaya not to pursue investigations into Al-Jazeera, citing media freedom, but government ministers have accused it of tarnishing Malaysia’s image.

Al Jazeera has said in previous statements that its attempts to get official comments from senior government officials for the documentary went unanswered.

Police have so far taken statements from six Al-Jazeera staff involved in the production of the documentary. – August 4, 2020.