Indonesia called me a spy, says Malaysian haze filmmaker
Isa Isarb says he was filming protesters at a forest fire for a documentary about the haze when he was arrested by Indonesian authorities.
Filmmaker Isa Batharul Zaman, also known as Isa Isarb, claims he was detained by Indonesian authorities for allegedly being a Malaysian spy while filming protests over forest fires. He was in Indonesia to document the haze issue and was stopped while en route to a fire-stricken area. Upon questioning, he was told his tourist visa prohibited filming or participating in demonstrations.
He was held overnight in a police lockup and accused of being a spy due to discussions with Malaysian politicians, including the deputy prime minister's team, a Muar MP, and the communications minister. Isa's invitation to Parliament for an interview further raised suspicions. He was subsequently released and allowed to return to Malaysia due to the friendly relations between Putrajaya and Jakarta.
Isa intends to release his documentary on YouTube on November 16, following the Melaka elections, but vowed not to allow the incident to be politicized.
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- Isa Isarb: 'We were detained over spy suspicions during Indonesia haze shoot' nst.com.my
- Indonesia called me a spy, says Malaysian haze filmmaker freemalaysiatoday.com
