Home Ministry to summon Malaysiakini over rape threat 'may be a joke' article

The Home Ministry will summon Malaysiakini and China Press over their articles on Deputy Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani's remarks on a threat of rape made against a teenager.

According to the Home Ministry, the reports were inaccurate.

"As such, the Home Ministry will summon Malaysiakini and China Press immediately to get their explanation and further information regarding the report," the ministry said in a statement this evening.

A date for the meeting was not given.

On Sunday (April 25), 17-year-old Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam alleged that a classmate threatened to rape her after she exposed a teacher for allegedly making jokes about sexual assault in class.

Following this, she made a police report over the threat. She and her father had previously lodged a report over the male teacher's remarks.

When asked about Ain's case yesterday, Acryl told a press conference in Shah Alam the following:

"The student has filed two police reports. The first is over what she felt was an improper approach by her teacher.

"The second report is regarding what may be a joke by her classmate which she couldn't accept."

He also said police had opened investigation papers and were taking statements from Ain's teacher and classmates.

Based on a Facebook live video of the press conference, Malaysiakini then published an article with the headline: "Deputy IGP describes rape threat against teen as 'maybe a joke'."

China Press, meanwhile, published an article in Chinese with the headline: "Female student threatened with rape, Acryl Sani: Classmate may be joking".

Malaysiakini has sighted Ain’s report, in which she expressed her fears over what she described as a threat. The police report did not mention any possibility that it was a joke.

"I feel worried for my safety," she said in the police report.

Bukit Aman, in response to the articles today, produced a transcript that showed the "may be a joke" remarks were indeed uttered.

However, it explained in the statement that the “may be a joke” comment referred to the aspects that were being investigated and it did not mean the issue was being taken lightly.

Acryl did not say anything to this effect in his press conference yesterday.

Bukit Aman also said today that the articles gave the impression that Acryl had said: "it was only a joke".

Malaysiakini did not write such a sentence.

It should be noted that national news agency Bernama had also published an article yesterday with the headline "Polis terima dua laporan gurauan rogol pelajar" (Police receive two reports on student rape joke)