KUCHING, Feb 4: Retired journalist Joseph Tawie lodged a counter police report against Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur and Small, Medium Enterprise (SME) Development Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais this morning to justify that his Facebook post was based on information given by certain Tuai Rumah in Simunjan.
Although he cannot name the Tuai Rumah concerned as the case was being investigated, Joseph said the online post he made on January 28, 2019 was the reason why he was brought in for questioning at the Kuching District Police Station at Simpang Tiga here yesterday afternoon (February 3).
The 73-year-old was released around 5pm later that day.
“They (police) came my farm in Simunjan some 140km from Kuching City. So they asked me to come to Kuching (District Police Station) escorted by two cars. We left my ‘kampung’ around 1.30pm and arrived in Kuching around 3.30pm.
“They took my statement and I told them everything. I asked them, ‘am I being arrested?’ They said yes. I asked on what case? They replied because of my Facebook posting,” Joseph told reporters after making the counter police report at the Kuching District Police Station One Stop Centre at Simpang Tiga here this morning.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Ali Biju last night in a statement said that Joseph was brought to the Kuching District Police Station just for questioning.
Ali also said that Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How would be providing legal service to Joseph, while urging social media users following the case to calm down.
Meanwhile, Joseph said: “I asked who lodged a report against me, they said YB Naroden. The “gotong-royong” posting on my Facebook page, you can go see. He (Naroden) denied the story. I made a counter police report to say my part of the story.
“I lodged a police report (today) against YB Naroden to say that my story was based on information given to me by some Tuai Rumah in Simunjan. Cannot name them as the case is being investigated,” he said.
Joseph said after Chinese New Year on February 7, he would be lodging a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
As of press time, Naroden could not be reached for comments. Meanwhile, Sarawak Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Chief SAC Denis Leong when contacted confirmed that Joseph was arrested yesterday but released on police bail after his statement was recorded. — DayakDaily
