Outcry as Malaysian actor Patrick Teoh arrested over insult to Johor crown prince TMJ

The actor was remanded for using an expletive in a Facebook post in response to an old video of Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Ibrahim, known as TMJ

Four rights groups criticised the Johor police’s use of the Communication and Multimedia Act, which has been used against government critics

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The crown prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, is well known for his social media presence and his involvement in football. Photo: ESPNFC

Published: 6:35pm, 12 May 2020Updated: 10:18pm, 12 May 2020

Leading Malaysian rights groups have decried the arrest and prolonged remand of a local actor over his perceived insult to the powerful crown prince of the Johor sultanate, with one activist saying it was yet another instance of police in the state “abusing” the country’s communication laws.

Patrick Teoh, a 73-year-old veteran radio announcer and actor, was arrested on Saturday over a Facebook post in which he used an expletive in response to an old video of the crown prince Tunku Ismail Ibrahim handling firearms and training with personnel from the Johor Military Force (JMF) – a tiny private army maintained by the sultanate.

The royal – who is widely known as “TMJ” (Tunku Mahkota Johor) and who often stirs controversy through his own remarks on social media – has not commented on the saga.

Police said they started an investigation following complaints by two members of the public.

The detention – and investigators’ decision to hold Teoh in remand instead of questioning him without arrest – immediately sparked outcry among activists who claimed the police were overreacting.

Johor police chief Ayob Khan had earlier said Teoh was being held for a prolonged period because he was being “uncooperative”, but on Tuesday was quoted by local media as saying “there has been some cooperation from him”.

Teoh’s lawyer Rajan Navaratnam said the police had argued they needed more time for investigations after Teoh told them he could not remember the passwords to his mobile and email account.