Sabah activist slams Fahmi, MCMC over crackdown on free speech

Summary

• A Sabah activist slams Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and MCMC over free speech crackdown.

• Mukmin Nantang cites a recent MCMC probe against an influencer and himself, having had his phone seized over a Facebook post previously.

• Mukmin also notes the oppression of the Bajau Laut people and the continued lack of academic freedom.

A Sabah-based human rights activist today berated Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil over MCMC’s recent crackdowns against freedom of speech.

Speaking at a panel discussion in Kuala Lumpur, Mukmin Nantang from Borneo Komrad described the authority as “ridiculous” for investigating a social media influencer only because he intended to “scrut” the finances of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter, Nurul Izzah.

The term “scrut” is an internet slang for “scrutinise”.

Relating his own experience facing the internet regulator, Mukmin (above) said he lost his smartphone in February over a Facebook post expressing solidarity with Sitti Bandorah Mahalil, a Bajau Laut woman who was facing eviction in Semporna.

“The funniest incident was in February, when I came under MCMC investigation, and my phone was confiscated by them, only because I posted a message in solidarity with Hajah Bandorah.

“They launched an investigation and took away my phone just because of this,” the activist said, before going on an expletives-riddled rant against Fahmi.

Continued oppression of Bajau Laut

Mukmin, who founded the Borneo Komrad movement, was one of three panellists at a forum organised by Amnesty International Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur earlier today.

He was discussing issues about freedom of expression in Malaysia together with moderator Vilasini Vijandran from Amnesty, and two co-panellists, Deborah Augustin and Dineshawara Naidu.

Earlier, Mukmin shared with the audience the intimidations that Borneo Komrad activists had to face when fighting for the rights of the Bajau Laut and stateless communities in Sabah.

He said many of their members have been investigated and arrested since the group started their “Sekolah Alternatif” for stateless children in 2015.

In one case, a Borneo Komrad teacher was accused of being involved in human trafficking, he said.

‘Academic freedom still lacking’

On a related matter, Mukmin also criticised the government for allegedly muzzling academics and students, including through the Universities and University Colleges Act.

While the country has many good academicians, he claimed that many could not speak or write freely out of fear of the government.

“Until this day, (students and academicians) would get calls from their (institution) administrators if they write something that displeases the government.

“If this continues to happen, I think we won’t be able to get fully honest views from our scholars.

“I can honestly say that it feels nauseating to read some academic research published by universities where their lecturers are restricted from telling the truth.

“Our country has excellent lecturers, but if the government only wants to see contents that please them, we would not get to understand the real situation,” he stressed.

For example, Mukmin said there have been many academic studies done on the issues of Bajau Laut and stateless children.

However, despite all the resources spent on the studies, the community’s plight remains unchanged.

“I have seen so many studies done, but in the end, where are the solutions? At the end of the day, they still could not say out loud the truth - that the problem has to do with the government, corruption and violation of human rights.

“Everything is being manipulated using words. So, I do not understand why they want to spend hundreds of thousands of ringgit if we cannot get any benefit from the research,” he said.

Mukmin then suggested that the UN Human Rights Council, which will convene in Geneva this June, ask Malaysia about its position on the Bajau Laut community.

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