KUALA LUMPUR: The police have yet to identify the owner of a Threads account responsible for posting a defamatory and provocative message targeting a well-known male actor and singer.
Acting Kuala Lumpur police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohamed Usuf Jan Mohamad said he has instructed the investigating officer to contact Meta Platforms Inc, based in Singapore, to trace the account holder.
“We will also seek assistance from the Cyber Crime Division of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) to track the Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the account,” he said on Monday (Aug 4).
He added that the investigation is ongoing, and statements from four witnesses have been recorded.
The police are currently finalising the investigation into the defamatory and inciting post, which would then be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further action.
Meanwhile, Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has also been asked to assist in identifying the Threads account owner.
On July 18, the actor-singer lodged a police report over the post, which allegedly contained slanderous, provocative, and seditious elements, and was widely circulated online.
The case is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities.