KUANTAN – Police have classified the case of an elderly man who died during an operation to catch stray dogs in Taman Saga, Bentong, last Wednesday as a sudden death.
Bentong district police chief Zaiham Mohd Kahar said a post-mortem carried out at Bentong Hospital here revealed that the cause of death of the man was “respiratory arrest secondary to acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”.
He said two police reports were filed on the day of the incident, namely from a 55-year-old Bentong Municipal Council officer and the victim’s 53-year-old daughter, who informed police that her father had collapsed and passed out in front of their house.
According to Zaiham, police had recorded statements from the council officer, the victim’s daughter, and several witnesses to the incident.
“The public is advised not to speculate about the incident, make inappropriate comments on social media, or raise racial issues,” he said in a statement here late last night.
Zaiham also urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the operations room of the Bentong district police headquarters at 09-222-2222 or the nearest police station to assist in the investigation.
Meanwhile, Pahang Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Datuk Seri Johari Harun asked the public to wait for the outcome of the police investigation into the incident, adding that the Bentong Municipal Council is giving its full cooperation to the authorities.
He said the operation carried out by the Wild and Abandoned Animal Unit, Public Health Department, and municipal services, which also involved four Bentong Municipal Council-appointed contractors, was carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures. – Bernama, May 27, 2023
