KOTA KINABALU, June 27 — Sabahan activist Mukmin Nantang was released on police bail after being briefly arrested under the Sedition Act this afternoon.
Mukmin, who has been vocal on the controversial eviction of Bajau Laut people from the Tun Sakaran Marine Park, was arrested at the Semporna district police headquarters around 12.50pm today.
“An Inspector Roslan told me he was being ordered to arrest me under the Sedition Act, allegedly for a TikTok video on the Bajau Laut incident,” he told Malay Mail when contacted.
Mukmin said he could not divulge which video was it was on the advice of his lawyer, but added that the video was not his account since he does not have a TikTok account.
“My lawyer Rafeeqa asked that I not be remanded and be released on police bail. So at 1.30pm, I was released,” he said.
Mukmin, who heads an NGO called Borneo Komrad, was told to go to the Semporna district police headquarters to facilitate investigations.
He was among the most outspoken activists who had brought the incident of the evictions of the Bajau Laut to light.
The NGO he founded had posted videos of Bajau Laut houses being demolished around the Tun Sakaran Marine Park three weeks ago which were eventually picked up by international news outfits.
Several NGOs including Mandiri have objected to Mukmin’s arrest, and accused the government of using the archaic Sedition Act to persecute those who were voicing their opinions.
“Mandiri is condemning the arrest of Mukmin under the Sedition Act. Although he has been released, why is the government still using this archaic law to bind the people’s expressions. Is this the reformation that was promised?
“We cannot continue to be silent. Mandiri is asking for the Sedition Act to be repealed,” said Mandiri Borneo director Wong Keung Hui.
