Datuk Aidi Ismail
KUCHING (May 23): Sarawak police commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail has refuted DAP Sarawak secretary Senator Alan Ling’s claim that the police had abused their power and acted inhumanely by issuing compounds to two stall operators at the Fisherman’s Food Court in Luak, Miri last Friday.
“Police have rightfully carried out their duties and took action under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342),” said Aidi in a statement today.
He was responding to a statement made by Ling, who described the issuance of RM6,500 standard operating procedure (SOP) violation compounds to two stall operators at Fisherman’s Food Court in Luak, Miri on last Friday as blatant abuse of power and inhumane by the police.
According to Aidi, a team from the Miri district police station was sent to the premises at around 9.30am after they received a public tip-off that the stalls there were serving dine-in breakfast to customers.
“At the premises, the team witnessed that one of the stall operator was in the midst of preparing dine-in dishes for her customers,” said Aidi.
The team also reported that upon realising the presence of the police, a few of the customers quickly left the premises and a worker quickly cleared-up the table.
Aidi said the premises had violated the current SOP of ‘no dining-in’ as the tables and chairs appeared to have been arranged for dine-in purposes.
“Inside the premises, a man was sitting alone at a table and ignored the presence of the police. He also refused to cooperate with the team when questioned,” said Aidi, adding that police had no choice but to issue him a compound.
He said it was only after the issuance of compound that the man claimed that he was a stall operator and voiced out his dissatisfaction for being issued with a compound.
Aidi said the stall operator, who was eating at a table in the premises, had indirectly encouraged other customers to dine-in at the premises.
“Further checks on the stall operator revealed that he only has a business licence and not a licence from the Miri City Council,” Aidi added.
Therefore, he said what Ling had claimed in his statement was utterly wrong as evidence could be found from the premises’ closed-circuit television (CCTV).
“From this, there was no blatant abuse of power and inhumane act by the police as claimed by Ling,” Aidi added.
The owner of the premise is also urged to handover a copy of the CCTV footage to the police for further investigation under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.
Meanwhile, Aidi said the police are working together with the government in the fight to break the infection chain of the Covid-19 virus in Sarawak.
“The infection rate of the virus in Sarawak is worrying and everyone is urged to abide to the SOP as set by the Malaysian National Security Council,” he added.