GEORGE TOWN – The police and state Islamic department enforcement jointly launched an operation to weed out “social ills”, especially among young Muslims, at night entertainment outlets in the Penang downtown area recently.
Northeast district police head Soffian Santong said the authorities had received a tip-off and intelligence that some Muslims, including women, and underaged individuals were patronising the outlets along Chulia Street, which is popular for its cafes, restaurants and pubs.
He said that police deployed 43 personnel, including six officers, who were assisted by 25 religious enforcement officials, to one particular outlet.
There, they temporarily detained 151 patrons, 44 of whom were Muslims and 21 were believed to have consumed alcohol at excess levels based on breathalyser tests administered to them.
Soffian was speaking at a press conference here today, which was also attended by state Islamic enforcement director Mohd Azizul Nordin.
Fourteen of those arrested were male while the rest were female. They were aged between 18 and 49 years, and included four Indonesians and a Bangladeshi.
The local outlet owner had his statement recorded. None tested positive for drugs.
Azizul said the investigation was conducted under Section 19 of the Syariah Criminal Enactments. The penalty, if found guilty of consuming alcohol in public, is a fine of RM3,000 or two-year imprisonment or both.
He said that more such operations would be conducted from time to time.
In another development, police under its district CID investigation division raided a bungalow in Batu Ferringhi on October 13 and found that a wild party was underway.
The event was allegedly fuelled by drugs, and police detained 22 youths – including one young student aged 16 – for suspected narcotics use.
The suspects were all aged between 16 and 21, 14 boys and the rest girls.
Soffian urged parents and guardians to be mindful of the whereabouts of their children under their care.
In a related development, Lawyers for Justice movement coordinator S. Raveentharan said that the police operation at the outlet was questionable.
He said it infringes on the constitutional allowance of the freedom of assembly, especially for the non-Muslims caught up in the dragnet of the operation.
He said that he understood that Muslims may be committing an offence by consuming alcohol, but an operation should be conducted without involving non-Muslims.
“The rights of the patrons who were just out to have fun must be respected, especially if they have rights to enjoy drinks,” said Raveentharan. – The Vibes, October 17, 2022
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