PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) leaders must stop engaging in hate speech and spreading slander to cause disharmony and create fear among Malays, PKR deputy Youth chief Kamil Munim.

In a statement, he said PN leaders have lately acted in an arrogant manner and even linked newly minted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim with Israel.

“The trend of hate speech, spreading lies and insulting others since before the election until now when a prime minister has been sworn in, is to cause fear among the Malays.”

“To link the prime minister with Israel is an old tactic, recycled by PAS with ill intention to instil fear in the Malay-Muslim community,” said Kamil.

Yesterday, police began investigation into PAS MP for Baling, Hassan Saad, for criminal defamation and breach of the peace, after he accused Anwar of being an Israeli agent.

The Bukit Aman CID classified criminal investigation unit said it had received several reports lodged against the Islamist party lawmaker.

“The case has been classified under sections 500 and 504 of the penal code, as well as section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,” police said in a statement, referring to legislation regarding intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and defamation, respectively.

Anwar had also sent Hassan a letter of demand to explain why he had accused the recently appointed leader of being an agent for Israel.

The letter, issued by law firm S.N. Nair & Partners yesterday, gave Hassan three days to clarify his claims that there was “Israeli influence” in Anwar’s appointment as prime minister.

Kamil said while the country guarantees freedom of speech, it does not mean that one can slander another person or to insult anyone freely.

“Such an attitude does not at all symbolise principles and Islamic morals as claimed by PAS,” Kamil added.

Legal group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) had today cautioned the prime minister against directing police to investigate those who criticised or made allegations against him, warning that the use of state apparatus for such a purpose was a “slippery slope to authoritarianism”.

LFL said the better recourse was for Anwar to file a civil defamation suit. – November 30, 2022.