The High Court was today told that investigations by the enforcement department of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on comments which insulted the Perak sultan found that they were posted by members of the public.

The department head, Mazlan Osman, said the comments were posted on the websites soon after the Perak sultan consented to the appointment of Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as Perak menteri besar on Feb 6 this year.

kampung buah pala penang karpal singh meet 120609 03 He said the comments included two which appeared on two official websites of the Perak state government - one on the state secretariat and the other on the Perak sultan's guestbook.

Mazlan, who is 16th prosecution witness, also read a few of the comments which insulted the Perak sultan for the court's records.

He was testifying at the trial of Karpal Singh, 69, on a charge of making a seditious statement against the Perak sultan at a news conference at his office at Messrs Karpal Singh & Co in Jalan Pudu Lama in Kuala Lumpur between noon and 12.30pm on Feb 6.

Questioned by deputy public prosecutor Azlina Rasdi, he said a few of the writers of the comments had been charged.

To another question, Mazlan, 44, said the department did not receive any complaints on such postings before Feb 6 and that most of the comments which insulted the Perak sultan that were in the two official websites of the state government were posted between Feb 9 and 12.

Nine detained

Earlier, chief inspector Ishak Arshad, from the Perak police contingent headquarters, told the court that his investigations on nine men who were detained for participating in an unlawful assembly in front of the Ubudiah Mosque, Kuala Kangsar, Perak, found that it was held to protest against Zambry’s appointment as Perak menteri besar.

He said between 3,000 and 4,000 people gathered near Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar, Perak, on that day and that no police permit was issued for the gathering.

Hearing before judicial commissioner Azman Abdulah continues on March 16 next year.

- Bernama