Lawyer Paulsen detained under Sedition Act

KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer Eric Paulsen, who landed himself in controversy over a message he posted on Twitter claiming the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) was promoting extremism in sermons at mosques during Friday prayers, was arrested by police in Brickfields last night.
It is learnt that Paulsen, who is Lawyers for Liberty co-founder and and executive director, was detained under the Sedition Act by a police team and taken to the Dang Wangi police station for investigation.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed Paulsen's arrest on Twitter at 9.40pm.
It could not be ascertained at press time if Paulsen would be freed after questioning or face detention under a remand order.
Earlier today, Paulsen had lodged a police report at the Petaling Jaya police headquarters alleging he had received death threats on Twitter and WhatsApp over the tweet he made last week.
"I only criticised Jakim, a government agency under the ministry. My tweet did not even refer to Islam.
"The statement was misunderstood by the public," Paulsen told reporters after lodging the report at the PJ police station today.
Accompanying him were, among others, lawyers Latheefa Koya and Michelle Yesudas.
Latheefa said criticising Jakim should not be construed as insulting Islam. "It is all about Jakim. It is an agency. It is not a religion or a person. It does not mean you criticise Islam when you criticise Jakim. That's a stretch," she said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, speaking at an event in Cyberjaya, said Paulsen's tweet was made because he does not understand what is going on. He said that the sermons made by the khatib (preachers) during Friday prayers are not only on Islam but in the context of community and humanitarianism.
"Paulsen might not understand how it is, and deemed it extreme. Since when do we act out of the norm and extreme? The Muslim community is among the most moderate in Malaysia," said Muhyiddin.