There was no need to arrest former deputy minister Mashitah Ibrahim and Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob because police wrapped up investigations within 24 hours of police reports being lodged.

This was revealed by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in response to a question from M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) on why Umno politicians were not arrested for making allegedly inflammatory comments.

Zahid said police found no need to detain the duo because the recording of their statements and initial investigations were completed within 24 hours of police reports being made against Mashitah and Ismail Sabri.

"It's not true that only the opposition members are being arrested. There are government supporters who have been arrested too," Zahid said.

Mashitah ( right ) came under fire for claiming that there were Chinese people in Kedah burning copies of the Quran , page-by-page, as an example of how the Malays and Islam was being challenged in Malaysia.

It was later established that her allegation was not true.

Mashitah made this claim in a speech at the Umno general assembly in November last year, but no action has been taken against her.

Ismail Sabri came under fire for urging the Malays to boycott Chinese traders for profiteering despite a brief drop in fuel prices.

"Only if they can't finish the investigation within 24 hours we will detain someone. For these two parties, we finished the probe by summoning them," he said.

Meanwhile, he also explained that the police followed standard operating procedures (SOP) in not giving slippers to some detained in the lock-up overnight.

"The was a rule established in 1953. I agree we need to change it according to times," he said.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article had erroneously reported that the police had quizzed Mashitah and Ismail Sabri through telephone. We regret the error.