Originally posted by pisces8:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/240070/1/.html
[b]Malaysia to use detention without trial for text messaging
rumours: reports
Posted: 08 November 2006 1230 hrs
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia warned it would apply a
draconian law which allowed for detention without trial to people
who used text messages to spread libellous or false information,
reports said Wednesday.
The move comes after text messages with rumours that ethnic Muslim
Malays would be baptised as Christians sparked a large Muslim
protest in northern Perak state.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Bahrum said Malaysia's
Internal Security Act (ISA) could be used on
anyone spreading texts which could cause instability in the
country.
"What happened in Perak was very serious and could have triggered a
riot," Johari was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times.
"The SMS caused a lot of uneasiness among the Muslim community, and
this is not good for the security of the country, which has various
races and religions," he said.
The ISA allows for two-year detention periods that can be renewed
indefinitely. It has been used on alleged Islamist militants.
Malaysia's Inspector General of Police, Musa Hassan, said the ISA
would be appropriate for those deemed a threat to public order and
national security.
"We can conduct investigations under the ISA if
the matter becomes serious," he was quoted as saying in the Sun
newspaper.
About 1,000 Malays protested outside a Roman Catholic church Sunday
in Perak, after some received text messages which said there would
be a baptism ceremony involving Muslims.
They later found out the baptism was for some 100 ethnic Indians
who had converted to Christianity, according to reports.
Religious conversion is a thorny subject in majority-Muslim
Malaysia, where Muslims are not allowed to convert, and
proselytizing of Muslims by other faiths is also prohibited.
Race relations in the multicultural nation have become increasingly
strained recently amid a campaign for religious freedom by
activists and a series of controversial court cases.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in July ordered a halt to
public discussions and threatened penalties against anyone who
inflamed emotions. - AFP/ir
[/b]
What sort of shit reporting is this? Allegation made: malaysia
would (Will) use powers. But no where in the report is there any
evidence to back this up.
I see the source is AFP. Are their standards really so low? What
about CNA? Why did they publish such terrible reports?
