Al Jazeera disputes IGP's claim it was given notice before raid
• UPDATED 11.05PM | Added Al Jazeera’s denial of being given prior notice by the police.
Al Jazeera has disputed Inspector-general of police Abdul Hamid Bador’s claim that police had notified the broadcaster in advance before conducting a raid on its Kuala Lumpur office yesterday.
“Al Jazeera states that we received no prior notice of the police raid,” it said in a tweet tonight...
- UPDATED 11.05PM | Added Al Jazeera’s denial of being given prior notice by the police.
Al Jazeera has disputed Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Abdul Hamid Bador’s claim that police had notified the broadcaster in advance before conducting a raid on its Kuala Lumpur office yesterday.
“Al Jazeera states that we received no prior notice of the police raid,” it said in a tweet tonight.
The Qatari broadcaster was responding to Abdul Hamid’s interview with AFP, where he reportedly said the raid on Al Jazeera was carried out professionally.
This is over the "Locked up in Malaysia's Lockdown" documentary by the Qatari-based news channel, which was critical of Malaysia's treatment of undocumented migrants.
"It was not like a military kind of action taken by the police," he was quoted as saying by AFP.
He added that Al Jazeera was informed that police would be paying them a visit.
"They were even asked which devices were used. They cooperated," Abdul Hamid (below) had said.
Police had also raided the offices of Astro and Unifi TV yesterday for carrying the documentary.
Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi national who gave an interview in the documentary and had since been arrested, will be deported and blacklisted soon.
According to Immigration Department director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud, police have completed their investigations against Md Rayhan Kabir.
"Yesterday, the (Home) Minister (Hamzah Zainudin) informed that Rayhan can be expelled from Malaysia. His work pass has been cancelled as well.
"We do not know when he will be expelled but the earliest flight to Bangladesh is on Aug 31.
“He will be blacklisted forever," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
Yesterday, Hamzah told the Dewan Rakyat that police were also investigating Rayhan’s employer.
He warned that any employer or foreign worker who went against the Immigration Act could be deported to their country of origin.
Khairul said police have submitted their investigation papers on Rayhan’s case to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
However, according to one of Rayhan's legal counsels, they had been informed that the Immigration Department purportedly wants to seek an extension of the Bangladeshi's remand order tomorrow.
Rayhan had been placed under a 14-day remand since his arrest on July 24, which authorities claimed was to facilitate their investigations into the matter.
Lawyer K Sumitha said that they were not informed of the reason why authorities wanted the remand extension.
"They did not say anything except that they are going to extend (Rayhan's) remand," she said in a text message.
Police had detained Rayhan on July 24 after the latter appeared in the documentary which was critical of Malaysia’s handling of undocumented migrants during the movement control order (MCO).
Rayhan reportedly sent a text message to Bangladeshi media The Daily Star in which he asserted that he did not commit any crime.
"I did not lie. I have only talked about the discrimination against the migrants. I want the dignity of migrants and my country ensured. I believe all migrants and Bangladeshis will stand with me," he told the media.
However, he later expressed willingness to be deported and apologised for his remarks in the interview, according to his lawyers.
Police are also investigating the news company and have questioned several of its staff concerning the documentary, which aired on July 3, under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The government claimed the report misrepresented facts but Al Jazeera denied this.
The news organisation also claimed attempts to solicit a response from relevant ministers and their deputies on the claims before the report was aired were not entertained.
