GEORGE TOWN: A commotion broke out outside the office of the Chinese Consulate-General in Penang here this afternoon after three “mysterious” boxes were left outside its main gate.
Staff of the Chinese Consulate-General immediately alerted authorities to the matter.
However, it was later discovered that the boxes actually contained face masks.
Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Soffian Santong said the bomb dispersal squad was immediately dispatched to the scene to check on the contents of the boxes when police was alerted to the matter at about 3pm.
“Investigation found the boxes actually contained face masks,” he added.
He said further investigation also revealed that seven people, including two women, had come in two cars at about 2.30pm, placing the boxes outside the office of the Chinese Consulate-General.
They left the place 30 minutes later.
They had even taken a video recording of their action, which later found its way into social media.
Soffian said, questioned later, the group claimed that the face masks were meant for the people of China, currently battling the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
“They had even held up three banners, written in Mandarin, which read ‘Wuhan, don’t give up’, ‘Way to go China’ and ‘The Chinese in Malaysia pray for the safety of the people there (China)’,” he said.