An activist who highlighted the plight of the indigenous Bajau Lau community was arrested by Sabah police today, a move that was criticised by a local chapter of an international rights group.

Mukmin Nantang, the founder of Borneo Komrad, was released on police bail later, Amnesty International Malaysia said.

It is understood that Mukmin is being investigated for sedition.

Amnesty International Malaysia slammed the arrest, describing it as an attempt to intimidate and silence activists. It said the use of the Sedition Act was a blatant violation of freedom of expression.

“The government has an obligation to protect human rights defenders, not arrest and attempt to intimidate (them).

"The repressive Sedition Act has no place in Malaysia and goes against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration’s own commitments to repeal draconian laws curtailing freedom of speech, its executive director, Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, said in a statement.

Maliamauv urged the authorities to drop the investigation against Mukmin and called on the Sabah government to end the crackdown on human rights activists and the Bajau Laut people.

On June 25, Sabah police said it would be questioning Mukmin in connection with videos depicting the demolition of Bajau Laut homes.

The eviction of the Bajau Laut community in Semporna, Sabah, earlier this month saw their stilt homes torn down in an operation that apparently targeted those living on seven islands in the region, including Pulau Bohey Dulang, Pulau Maiga, Pulau Bodgaya, Pulau Sebangkat and Pulau Sibuan.

Mukmin was reported as saying that men had arrived at the Bajau Laut community’s homes on June 4, and demolished and burnt their homes to drive them out.

Borneo Komrad also shared several videos of the alleged evictions on X, one of which showed several men pushing a dilapidated house until it collapsed.

However, Sabah tourism, culture and environment minister Christina Liew said the operation was carried out because of safety concerns following a shooting incident in Teluk Darvel and cross-border criminal activities in the area.