IPOH, July 31 — The Perak police have confirmed that 20 police reports have been lodged over the spread of a video of the Perak Sultan, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah’s speech that was edited for political advantage.

Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said they began receiving the reports yesterday after the video went viral recently and confirmed that there were 20 reports so far in Perak against a woman, with the first report being lodged in Brickfields police station in Kuala Lumpur.

“Investigations regarding this case have been referred to Bukit Aman for further action,” he said in a media conference here today.

The Sultan of Perak’s Office had also lodged a police report regarding the matter on Saturday, and clarified that the edited video quoted a short part of Sultan Nazrin’s speech, titled “Ummah Unity, Hope, Reality and Challenge” made during Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka’s Ummah Talk on February 19, 2013, when he was acting Raja of Perak.

Media outlets reported yesterday that the woman who sought to highlight the edited video was the Melaka Muslimat PAS chief, and it is believed that she edited the clip from a video previously uploaded on the Melaka Pas Dewan Muslimat’s Facebook on November 11, 2022.

Mohamad Norriduan Mohamed Idrus, the Ipoh Timur MP’s political secretary, who was one of several DAP members who lodged police reports at the Ipoh district police headquarters here today, said that the edited video had indirectly involved the royal institution in political matters and clearly tarnished Sultan Nazrin’s reputation.

“The way the clip was edited made it seem that the Sultan supported their party but in reality, the institution acts as an impartial check-and-balance.

“What is the purpose of those who edited the video if not for a certain party’s political interest and we fear it will be misinterpreted by the public and give an unsavoury perception toward the royal institution.

“I hope the police will take legal action against the perpetrator quickly and ensure that the royal institution is defended,” he said in a media conference after lodging a police report. — Bernama