49 held over SOP violation during Aidiladha prayers

Updated 4 years ago · Published on 20 Jul 2021 11:15PM · 3 Comments

A screen grab of the viral video showing more than 200 foreigners performing Aidiladha prayers on the road near a surau in Taman Pelangi this morning. – July 20, 2021.

POLICE have arrested 49 men to facilitate investigations into a viral video showing hundreds of individuals believed to be foreigners violating the standard operating procedure (SOP) by having Aidiladha prayers at an open area and roadside of Surau Taman Pelangi, Juru, Penang, today.

Penang police chief Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the 48 Bangladeshis and one local man were arrested separately around Juru today.

“They have been arrested to aid ongoing investigations for violating the SOP,” he said in a statement tonight, adding that investigations would be conducted under Sections 269 and 270 of the Penal Code.

A video showing over 200 individuals, mostly foreigners living in Taman Pelangi conducting Aidiladha prayers in the parking lot and by the roadside of a surau in Taman Pelangi between 8.30am and 9am today had gone viral, leading to the investigation.

They were praying in the area as the surau management did not allow them inside which had a maximum capacity of 100 people.

Shuhaily added that the report regarding the incident has been handed over to the Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani today for him to brief Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin.

The Home Ministry had asked the Penang police chief to provide a detailed report and explanation into his personnel assigned to monitor SOP compliance during the Aidiladha celebrations.

Hamzah was reported to have said that the report and explanation needed to be provided as soon as possible after the video went viral today. – Bernama, July 20, 2021.
 

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Comments

  • He said police are now looking for more than 200 foreigners for violating the SOP.

    The police should have closed and bolted the bar door before the horses got out. Now its too late. The consequent for the state is disastrous to say the least. The police chief and his team should be sacked immediately.,

    Posted 4 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • The Islamic religious authorities are responsible for this breach of SOP. If they had organised on line or Zoom Hari Raya prayers, more Muslims could have performed the prayers in the privacy of our homes without shamelessly defying the SOP. My Qigong group organises on-line practice session daily. The practice last evening had more than 100 people following. Are we Muslims against progress? I use google to understand the verses in the Koran, which is in Arabic language.

    Posted 4 years ago by Citizen Pencen · Reply

  • If the present government is a student in my language class 25 years ago at a university, I would tell them that the CONNOTATION this Hari Raya Haji prayer incident has created is very dangerous, if those caught praying are charged. My humble opinion is that an apology by the government for NOT organizing on line or ZOOM as suggested in my earlier comments. The idea that people are fined for praying is not healthy. I have not attended a congregational prayer for the last two years but we (spouse and I) have been following on line Zhineng Qigong every evening.

    Posted 4 years ago by Citizen Pencen · Reply