JOHOR BARU – Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman only sent in an application to distribute essential items house-to-house and not from the Muar parliamentary service centre, said Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.
He also explained that the order to stop the aid handover programme at the centre was made by the Muar District Health Office after health officers saw for themselves that the programme, which was attended by more than 100 people, failed to comply with Covid-19 prevention standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“MPs or assemblymen are certainly allowed to carry out relief activities, but they need to get permission from the district disaster operations control centre.
“I understand an application was made but it was for distributing food baskets from house to house. What happened was that the distribution of items was made at the Muar parliamentary service centre, where many people gathered...firstly, they did not have permission to hold such a programme, and secondly, there was no physical distancing,” he told reporters at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.
As a result, Ayob Khan said, the Muar District Health Office enforcement arm ordered the programme to be stopped.
“I request (that) any elected representative who wants to do such a programme follow the SOPs set by the National Security Council, and ask for permission from the district disaster operations control centre. Only then can controls be made and so on.
“The authorities only issued a warning to the parties involved and no compound was issued,” he said.
Yesterday, Syed Saddiq posted on his Facebook page about the service centre being ordered to close from today. – Bernama, July 14, 2021
