KENINGAU: Police will not arbitrarily check the content of an individual’s mobile phone without any reason, according to Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah.
He said inspection would only be possible if there were reports against certain individuals about their alleged involvement in criminal activities.
Omar, however, confirmed mobile phone checking was a common practice based on police investigation procedure imposed on individuals involved in criminal cases or those with suspicious activities.
“But we (the police) don’t do it to every single person for no reason,” he told reporters after officiating the sexual harassment campaign held, here today.
Omar was responding to the statement from Deputy Home Minister Datuk Aziz Jaman in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Nov 18) that police personnel are allowed to inspect mobile phones under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 to ensure that there is no obscene or offensive content, or content that is a threat to the people and security of the country.
He said police could also carry out checks on mobile phones of individuals involved in online gambling.
Commenting on the campaign, Omar said it was aimed at raising awareness and provide basic knowledge to children and the community on the legal aspect and preventive measures in dealing with sexual crime cases in Sabah.
He said sexual crime cases involving children in the state showed an increase, both in urban and rural areas and with statistics from January to October this year recorded 374 cases that include incest and rape, compared with 302 reported in the same period last year.
Approximately 900 participants comprised, among others, native leaders, village heads, community leaders and customary chiefs from the Keningau, Nabawan, Tambunan and Tenom districts attended the event.
“The campaign held today is a good effort by the police to reduce crime cases involving children and teenagers,” he said. - Bernama
