POLICE have imposed a compound of RM2,000 each on 31 members of Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat (SSR) for organising and participating in a Covid-19 vigil at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur last night. 

Dang Wangi police chief Noor Dellhan Yahaya said the SSR members were compounded after they were found to have violated the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the national recovery plan for being involved in an assembly, which began at 8pm. 

He said the participants were compounded after being taken to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters to be questioned. 

“The Dang Wangi district police compliance team caught a group of individuals gathered at Dataran Merdeka last night, in conjunction with a programme to commemorate those who died as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“A total of 31 SSR members gathered while lighting candles and holding white banners that read ‘Belasungkawa Jiwa-Jiwa Yang Telah Pergi’,” he said in a statement late last night. 

Noor Dellhan said action was taken against them in accordance with Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, Section 21A of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342). 

“They are also subject to action in accordance with Regulation 10, VAT Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations (No. 2) 2021,” he said.

Noor Dellhan advised the public to continue to abide by the SOP set by the National Security Council to combat the Covid-19 epidemic and stern action would be taken against those who failed to do so. 

Last night, The Malaysian Insight reported that at least 25 people were arrested for holding a vigil in commemoration of those who lost their lives to Covid-19 at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

A participant had said the group, which started gathering at 7.50pm, began with lighting candles en masse to commemorate the deaths. 

Later, the participant added, the group’s organisers gave a short speech and ended the vigil by distributing roses. 

However, at about 8.40pm, police started asking for the personal information of each participant. 

The participants questioned if they were being arrested but police personnel dragged some of them into police trucks before they were taken to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters. 

According to a spokesman for Parti Sosialis Malaysia, seven of its members who attended the programme were detained. – August 20, 2021.