The Immigration Department of Malaysia on Tuesday issued a search warrant for a Bangladeshi national whose name, details and photos match those of a migrant worker recently interviewed by Al Jazeera for a documentary.
The documentary, titled "Locked up in Malaysia's Lockdown",which focused on the plight of thousands of undocumented migrants detained during raids carried out in areas under tight coronavirus lockdowns, was produced by the Qatar-based station's 101 East news program.
Separately, Malaysian police on the same day announced that they would summon Al Jazeera reporters for questioning over the documentary, which the authorities have said was an attempt to tarnish Malaysia's image, reports Bangkok Post.
This documentary, which aired last week, sparked an immediate backlash online, with several officials decrying the report as inaccurate, misleading and unfair.
The backlash comes amid concerns over crackdowns on press freedoms under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government, which came to power in March, as well as rising anger towards foreigners and refugees, who have been accused of spreading Covid-19 and burdening state resources.
Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob this week called on Al Jazeera to apologize to Malaysians, insisting that allegations of racism and discrimination against undocumented migrants were untrue.
The Kuala Lumpur authorities had previously defended the arrests as necessary to uphold the law and stem the spread of the pandemic.
Police will call in Al Jazeera staff as part of a probe opened after several complaints filed against the documentary, Malaysia’s Inspector General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador told reporters on Tuesday.
"It is our responsibility to investigate to see if there are any elements of sedition or wrongdoing," he said, according to a video of his comments posted by the news portal Malaysia Gazette.
However, spokespeople for Al Jazeera did not respond to an emailed request sent by Bangkok Post for comments.
The investigation is the latest in a recent series of clampdowns against reporters and activists that rights groups say are aimed at stifling dissent.
In May, a journalist from the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post was questioned by police over her reporting on the migrant arrests.
