KUALA LUMPUR – A deputy minister for Law has come under criticism from both sides of the political divide after accompanying a controversial activist to court, prompting calls for an immediate explanation over his presence.
Bersatu vice-president Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Jidin questioned the actions of Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran, who was seen escorting activist Arumugam Dorasamy to court on Tuesday, local media reported.
He said the government must clarify the appropriateness of the Ipoh Barat MP’s presence alongside an accused individual.
“Is it appropriate for a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department to be present in court with an accused individual?
“The government must provide an immediate explanation,” he said briefly in a Facebook post.
A similar call was made by Johor PKR Youth chief Mohd Faezuddin Puad, who urged Kulasegaran to explain the capacity in which he attended the proceedings.
He stressed that such clarification was crucial to prevent negative perceptions of the government.
“We do not want this matter to give the wrong impression to the public, as if the government is siding with Arun or trying to show political support towards him.
“We are also concerned that this action could damage the image of the Madani Government and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the eyes of Malaysians,” he said.
Faezuddin reiterated the concern in an online post, saying:
“The deputy minister must provide an explanation regarding the capacity of his presence at the court.
“We don’t want this matter to give the wrong impression to the public, as if the government is siding with Arun or trying to show political support towards him.”
He added that the episode could harm the government’s standing among Malaysians.
Earlier, Arumugam, 56, arrived at the Magistrate’s Court accompanied by Kulasegaran and his legal team to face a charge under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code linked to a video circulated on WhatsApp.
He was accused of making statements of a seditious nature in a video uploaded on his Instagram account. Arumugam pleaded not guilty to a charge of making statements intended to cause public alarm.
The charge relates to a video allegedly recorded on March 12, 2025, at a shopping centre in Batu Kawan, in which he called on the Hindu religious association Pertubuhan Hindu Agamam Ani Malaysia to organise a street protest.
The call was reportedly made in response to a separate controversy involving independent preacher Zamri Vinoth and three local radio presenters accused of mocking a religious festival.
Zamri, whose full name is Muhammad Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu, was also charged with a similar offence earlier in the day.
In a subsequent press conference, lawyer Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar questioned Kulasegaran’s presence, suggesting it could give rise to perceptions of interference in the judicial process.
Zainul Rijal, who is also an adviser to the Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Association, said the deputy minister should not have appeared alongside an accused person, as it could be seen as influencing proceedings or signalling a presumption of innocence before trial, according to the Malaysia Gazette.
“Deputy Minister, focus on your duties. Let the law take its course.
“We can already see differences — one accused was not handcuffed while another in Kuala Lumpur was. This may be the implication of the deputy minister’s presence,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Earlier in the morning, Kulasegaran was seen accompanying Arumugam upon arrival at the Jawi Magistrate’s Court in Penang to face the charge. – March 17, 2026