KOTA KINABALU: A teacher was among seven men who were arrested after they were involved in a demonstration against the imposition of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Enhanced MCO (EMCO) in Tawau.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said the seven individuals aged between 26 and 31 were brought to the Tawau court today, where an application for a two-day remand order was granted.
Police are investigating the group for violating the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021.
According to initial investigations, the men had on Saturday carried out a demonstration against the imposition of the MCO in Tawau and the EMCO in an area in Tawau.
Police eventually arrested six of the individuals at 3.30pm near a roadblock in Kampung Muhibbah Jalan Kuhara, which had been placed under the EMCO.
"One of the suspects identified as the organiser had failed to present an Announcement Notice to the District Police Chief (Notis Pemberitahuan Kepada Ketua Polis Daerah) to conduct the gathering.
"A police team who carried out MCO compliance observation duties had instructed the suspects to disperse, but was ignored as they continued rallying," said Hazani today.
He added that gathering was a prohibited activity and all six men were nabbed and taken to the Tawau Police Headquarters for further investigation.
The seventh man had turned himself in at the police station and admitted to being one of the protestors.
Hazani said one of them worked as a teacher, while others worked as "runners".
He also rubbished a claim alleging the police had acted aggressively by hitting the organiser on his shoulder and chest while in the process of apprehending the individual.
Hazani stressed that Sabah police took this allegation seriously and had instructed a probe be carried out against such a claim.
"Based on the ongoing investigation, we strongly deny any violence conducted by our senior officer or personnel when making the arrests on all these individuals.
"The arrest process was carried out by the police in compliance and in accordance with provisions under Section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code," said Hazani, advising the public to refrain from making untrue allegations.