[UPDATED] Elderly man allegedly assaulted by MBPJ under probe for obstruction

KUALA LUMPUR – The 69-year-old man, who was allegedly assaulted by a Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) officer, is now under police investigation for obstruction.

Petaling Jaya district police chief Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said the investigation is being carried out under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing hurt and Section 186 for obstructing public servants in the discharge of their functions.

In a statement, Fakhrudin confirmed that a police report was made on the incident at 10am yesterday.

“The man did not cooperate during the dog-catching operation. There was a tussle between the personnel and the man, which resulted in the man being hit with a catch pole.

“By doing so, MBPJ officers were unable to carry out their duties to catch the stray dogs.”

The police also confirmed that the incident took place at 9pm on March 22 at Taman Kanagapuram.

The man involved in the incident also lodged a report at a police station on Jalan Klang Lama yesterday.

In the report shared with The Vibes, the 69-year-old said when he attempted to protect his pet dogs from the officers, one of them had hit him with the catchpole, causing him to suffer a swollen jaw.

Previously, The Vibes reported that a resident who witnessed the incident had taken to social media to admonish the officers for their heavy-handedness.

Videos of the alleged incident were circulated on social media and had sparked outrage among netizens and rights groups.

Similarly, MBPJ announced that an internal investigation committee had been set up to probe into the incident.

“MBPJ will not compromise or protect any of its staff members if they are found to have committed offences,” it added. – The Vibes, March 25, 2023