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SINGAPORE: A second suspect in the death of a Malaysian social media influencer due to alleged cyberbullying has been arrested and detained, local media reported.
According to the New Straits Times, a man in his 40s was arrested in Setapak, near northeast of Kuala Lumpur, at around 6.30pm on July 10. He was subsequently detained by Sentul police.
“Yes, he has been detained and will appear in court in the morning to face the remand application,” Sentul police chief Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Sukarno Mohamad Zaharie was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
Earlier in the day, police extended by two days the custody of a 35-year-old woman, the first suspect in connection with the death of Ms. Rajeswary Appahu, 30, who allegedly committed suicide due to cyberbullying.
Ms. Rajeswari, who was known on TikTok as social media personality Esha, known for spreading positive and beautiful content, was found dead at her home on July 5.
The day before, Ms. Rajeswari, also a Hindu rights activist, lodged a complaint at the Dang Wangi police station, saying she had received death and sexual assault threats online.
According to local media reports, Rajeswari has not only been subjected to violent abuse on TikTok, but has also been harassed during “live broadcasts,” which allow viewers and creators to interact in real time on the social media platform.
According to local media reports, Sukarno said he also received a report from a 39-year-old man on the afternoon of July 6 that Ms Rajeswari had been threatened on TikTok.
“(The man) saw two posts through TikTok from the ‘Dular Brothers’ account and the ‘Alphaquinnsha’ TikTok account involving defamation and threats against Ms Rajeswari,” local media quoted Sukarno as saying.
The New Straits Times reported that “Dulal Brothers” was the account name of the second suspect.
In the days following Ms Rajeswari’s death, a Malaysian woman, who is also a social media influencer, was detained and remanded for three days to assist in the investigation.
Asked about the second suspect named by Ms Rajeswari in the police report, Sukarno said the search was still ongoing.
“We are still hunting for the second suspect, we believe he is in hiding,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times at the time.
According to local media reports, police recorded statements from at least nine people in the case, including Ms. Rajeswari’s family members.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil also said the two journalists claimed they were threatened by the same cyber bullies who harassed Ms. Rajeswari.
The New Straits Times quoted Fahmi as saying that journalists told him that cyber bullies tried to intimidate them by taking pictures of their homes and families.
Ms Rajeswari’s case has sparked national outrage and responses from ministers, and has put the issue of cyberbullying in Malaysia in the spotlight.
Mr Fahmi warned that such negative “culture” should not take root in the country and said the issue of cyberbullying on social media platforms would be presented to the Cabinet on July 12.
Talking to reporters after attending Ms. Rajeswari’s funeral on Sunday, Fazil said he also spoke to Ms. Rajeswari’s family about the online pressure that led to her suicide.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) recorded 3,199 complaints related to cyberbullying in 2023.
Currently, there are no specific laws or regulations against cyberbullying in Malaysia.
The government announced last August that it would draft a law specifically targeting cyberbullying in an effort to combat the growing problem, according to the Ministry of Communications website.
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