The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has seized devices and related materials belonging to two editors from a Chinese-language daily as part of its investigation into the alleged mistranslation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address in Parliament.
In a statement, the country’s internet regulator said it also recorded statements from China Press’s chief editor and online editor.
“MCMC takes seriously any publication involving the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address and matters related to the Malay language,” it said.
Two days earlier, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said MCMC was investigating the daily over an alleged mistranslation of Sultan Ibrahim’s royal address during the opening of the new parliamentary session.
He said the probe is being conducted under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which relates to the improper use of network facilities or services.
Fahmi’s remarks came after a now-deleted Facebook post by China Press carried a Mandarin headline suggesting that Sultan Ibrahim had said Malaysians who did not understand Bahasa Melayu should not remain in the country.
China Press later removed the post and published a corrected version with a headline accurately reflecting the King’s remarks that Malaysians who could not accept Bahasa Melayu as the national language were better off living elsewhere.
