The elderly parents of a popular anti-government blogger were hauled up by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today to assist in investigations into their son's blog posting in March.

The parents of Mohd Nur Hanief Abdul Jalil, 27, who operates "Asia, Malaysia, Tech & World Blog", were grilled on their son's allegations of sexual misconduct of a member of the royalty and on a doctored picture showing former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad sitting next to model Kavita Kaur.

mcmc quiz blogger hanief parents 150811 father abdul jalil ashaari 03 Clearly fazed, 61-year-old Abdul Jalil Ashaari ( right ) said that he was "saddened" by the way others on the blogsphere were attacking his son.

After being questioned for more than two hours by the MCMC at its Kuala Lumpur headquarters, Jalil told reporters that the questions put to him and his wife Kamalia Chek, 60, were "absurd".

“They asked me about the computers they had confiscated and which was mine... they also asked about the Streamyx (broadband) connection at my house and whose  name it was registered under,” said the retired bank employee.

MCMC six months ago confiscated Jalil’s desktop, along with Hanief’s computer, from their house in Taman Pelangi, Sentul, following a blog posting that supposedly disrespected and insulted a sultan.

Selective freedom of expression

Hanief, an anti-government blogger who is currently employed as a waiter in Singapore, was questioned on the matter on March 20, a day after MCMC raided his parents’ house and seized their belongings.

Jalil, who also spoke on the behalf of Kamalia, said he and his wife were both “cooperative”, so the MCMC officers reciprocated by being “amicable”.

“I believe that the government, which says that we have the freedom of expression, applies this only to its supporters, not to all,” he said.

He had read his son’s blog, he said, and felt that it was not “seditious” as some parties claimed it to be.

“Being a young man, my son, would like to see his country improve, that’s all,” Jalil added said.

Lawyers for Liberty representative Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, who was present to assist the couple, condemned the interrogation of Hanief’s parents as an act as “strong arm tactics" by the government.

Fadiah also blasted the Internet regulatory body for misusing its powers to “silence dissent”, and for barring her from accompanying Jalil and Kamalia while they were being questioned.

“It proves our claim, time and time again, all this is just pure intimidation and suppression by the authorities,” she said.

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