Nasir probed for sedition

By Steven Daniel And Dharmender Singh

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have launched investigations under the Sedition Act against Datuk Nasir Safar after police reports were lodged against him for allegedly making racist remarks at a 1Malaysia seminar in Malacca.

The 12 reports were lodged throughout the country and police have started investigations, Federal CID Director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said the case was being investigated under the Sedition Act.

He said it did not matter how many police reports were lodged nationwide, as police would conduct only one investigation.

“Since the words were uttered in Malacca, the police there would be responsible in conducting the investigations,” he said.

It is believed that several people who were present when Nasir made the remarks during a seminar in Malacca on Tuesday would be called up to assist in investigations.

Nasir, a special officer to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and a former assemblyman for Pulai Sebatang in Johor, caused a furore at the seminar on the 1Malaysia concept when he made derogatory remarks about Chinese and Indian immigrants coming to Malaysia.

The statements were supposedly made when he touched on issues relating to demands from the Indian and Chinese communities regarding certain government education policies.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office later said Nasir did not intend to offend anyone and apologised for what he had said. Nasir later tendered his resignation.

Confirming that Nasir was being investigated for sedition, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said police would investigate all reports that were made regardless of how closely related the person was to the country’s leaders.

“The national agenda goes beyond any personal relationship including blood relationship.

“The statement might have been the result of a slip of the tongue but the effects of the remark can be really bad,” he said in Putrajaya yesterday.

Hishammuddin said Nasir had known Najib for more than 30 years but would still be investigated.