A DAP lawmaker's remarks on the possibility of a massive rally against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has caught the attention of police chief Khalid Abu Bakar.

In a Twitter posting, Khalid ordered that Anthony Loke be investigated.

"Please investigate the originator of this message which is a threat, seditious, and jeopardises public harmony," read the tweet.

On Tuesday, Loke, who is also DAP organising secretary, said he does not rule out a mammoth rally being held in response to the allegation that RM2.6 billion of 1MDB-linked funds were deposited into the prime minister’s personal bank accounts.

Najib has denied the allegation, which was published in The Wall Street Journal last week, and dismissed calls for him to step down pending the outcome of a probe.

Commenting on the police chief's tweet, Loke ( photo ) said Khalid should not be distracted from the core issue.

"I was responding to a question by a reporter. He asked me whether there will be a demonstration against Najib, so I said I will not rule out the possibility.

"I did not say there will be a demonstration," he told Malaysiakini .

Describing the warning by the IGP as "ridiculous", he asked if suggesting a rally is now considered seditious as well.

"Even if we have a peaceful assembly to pressure Najib to step down, what is wrong with that? That is our right.

"Have we come to a stage where it is seditious and threatening to even suggest a peaceful assembly?" he asked.

The Seremban MP called on the police to focus their investigations on the prime minister and the claims made against Najib.

The police are part of a multi-agency special task force which is probing the allegations against 1MDB.

'IGP ignored constitution and laws'

Meanwhile, PKR political bureau member N Surendran said Khalid’s instruction for Loke to be investigated was "unlawful, unconstitutional, and in defiance of the federal constitution".

Surendran pointed out how Article 10 of the federal constitution guarantees the rakyat's right to gather peacefully.

And this includes the right to organise mass rallies critical of the government or the prime minister.

Parliament has also legislated to facilitate peaceful assemblies through the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, said Surendran ( photo ).

"Ignoring the country's constitution and laws, Khalid has ridiculously claimed that Loke's call to demonstrate is intimidation, sedition, and a threat to public order.

"We note with serious concern that the IGP has repeatedly ordered investigations and taken other actions which disregard the fundamental rights of the rakyat," said the Padang Serai MP.

The latest Twitter investigation order, said Surendran, has once again showed the continuing abuse of the Sedition Act.

"How can the call for a peaceful rally be seditious? Furthermore, Loke is a member of Parliament who has a duty to speak on matters of public interest.

"This baseless investigation must be dropped, and the Home Ministry must publicly undertake to stop interfering with the basic freedoms of the rakyat, as guaranteed under the federal constitution," he said.