The Bangladeshi national featured in an Al Jazeera programme on migrants in Malaysia during the pandemic has been detained by immigration authorities, reports Free Malaysia Today.
Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud was quoted by Harian Metro as saying the 25-year-old Bangladeshi man, Md Rayhan Kabir, was detained on Friday evening.
According to Harian Metro, Rayhan had been hiding in a condominium in Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur, before being caught by a team of immigration officers.
The department had been looking for the 25-year-old since July 7 in relation to its investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador had confirmed to FMT two weeks ago that Rayhan’s work permit had been revoked by the Immigration Department.
Rayhan was featured in a 25-minute Al Jazeera report titled “Locked up in Malaysia’s Lockdown” on its 101 East programme on July 3.
The report, on the authorities’ alleged ill-treatment of migrants under the movement control order (MCO), to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, sparked outrage from government leaders, with police reports filed against the Qatar-based news channel.
Putrajaya has demanded that Al Jazeera apologise to Malaysians over the documentary, but the satellite network stood by its journalists, saying the report was balanced despite failure to get the response of government leaders.
Al Jazeera is being probed for various offences, including sedition, defamation and improper use of network facilities.