KUCHING: An 18-year-old male was arrested in connection with a recent case of a Taman Sukma resident being raided by about 15 dissatisfied members of the public which went viral in social media.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail said the suspect was nabbed to assist in further investigations into the case.
“The suspect was taken to the Gita Police Station where an arrest was made. The case is being investigated under Section 298A of the Penal Code, and Section 233 of the Communications Act.
“The suspect will be remanded for four days until May 22,” he said on Wednesday.
In the video, it can be seen that the resident was rushed by angry mob after the former had made sensitive remarks on the military conflict between Palestine and Israel issue which was posted on Facebook.
Regarding the incident where at least 15 people had gathered in large number and violated the conditional movement control order (CMCO) standard operating procedures (SOPs), Aidi said some of them were seen not wearing face masks and not practising physical distancing.
“The police also opened another investigation paper under Regulation 17 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) (Movement Control) (No. 4) 2021 because they were detected carrying out a prohibited activity of gathering involving over 10 persons at the same place at one time,” he said.
The police want to emphasise and advise the public not to take matters into their own hands and be reckless, he said, adding that the people should leave the matter to the authorities, namely the police, to take action in accordance with the existing law.
“The police are also taking this incident seriously, and the public should not act emotionally, especially now that we are still dealing with Covid-19 and the need to comply with SOPs issued by the government.
“The individuals involved in the incident were asked to come to the nearby police station to assist police investigations,” he noted.
