GLOBAL Human Rights Foundation president S. Shashi Kumar today walked out of the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman after refusing to surrender his mobile phone to the police for investigation. 

Shashi, who was summoned to Bukit Aman to have his statement recorded over a video posted of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim presiding over a religious conversion ceremony at a mosque, left without giving his statement. 

Shashi expressed his disbelief after an inspector from the Classified Investigation Unit sought to confiscate his phone when he arrived at the Bukit Aman entrance.

“I asked why he wanted to take my phone, and the inspector said it was their procedure. When I asked how long the phone is needed, the officer told me that it might take a month. 

“I said no, because I have personal documents, photos of my family and so on in this phone. I also use it for work. 

“If the police want the video that I uploaded to TikTok, I can just give them the video,” he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.

Shashi, an activist, said he received a call from an investigating officer yesterday, asking him to appear in Bukit Aman to give a statement over the video. 

He, however, said police did not mention anything about the need to surrender his phone for investigation purposes. 

Branding the demand for his phone as an invasion of privacy, Shashi said he then turned around and left the police headquarters.

Shashi said he planned to clear the device first before meeting the investigator again to give a statement. 

“After I have transferred (all the data in the phone), I will give them what they need. If you want that particular video, I can give you that video. You can’t touch other things. 

“You can’t invade privacy,” Shashi said. 

Shashi said the investigating officer had asked if he could present himself at the police headquarters tonight but the activist replied he could only do so tomorrow.

The case is being investigated under section 504 of the penal code, which provides for offences relating to “intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace”. 

Shashi is the second activist to be called to give his statement over criticisms against Anwar for presiding over the religious conversion ceremony at a mosque in Klang last Friday. 

Yesterday, police called in activist Arun Doraisamy, who is also the Indira Gandhi Action Team chairman, for his statement regarding another video on the issue. – August 23, 2023.