BATU lawmaker P. Prabakaran was arrested yesterday for obstructing a public servant from carrying out his duties and also for flouting the movement-control order (MCO), said a police source.

The source told The Malaysian Insight Prabakaran was investigated under Section 186 of the Penal Code and also under Rule 3 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease (Measures within the local Infected Areas) Regulations 2020.

He now faces a two-year jail sentence, a fine not exceeding RM10,000, or both, if convicted.

The Batu MP was arrested yesterday after he went to check on his constituents at the Seri Murni Apartment in Selayang, Kuala Lumpur, which was placed under the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) hours earlier.

An aide told The Malaysian Insight Prabakaran went to visit the constituents as he had been getting text messages they have not received any aid from the government.

“If it was not because of the complaints he would have not gone there,” Arvind Raj said.

It was reported that Prabakaran was detained by police at the scene after he had gotten into an argument with Deputy Federal Territories Minister Edmund Santhara Kumar, who was also there. 

The Batu MP was released at 9pm, four hours after he was taken to the Sentul district police headquarters.

Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in his daily press conference yesterday, said northern Kuala Lumpur, including the areas around the Selayang wholesale market in the Batu constituency, was placed under the EMCO until May 3.

He said eight parcels of land in the area will be in total lockdown to enable Covid-19 tracing and testing.

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 28 coronavirus cases and one fatality have been registered in the area, and a total of 2,064 samples taken from residents. – April 21, 2020.