Deputy Speaker Among 15 Others Questioned Over Durian Feast For Allegedly Flouting SOPs
The feast was held at a durian orchard in Batu Pahat, Johor, and was captured on mobile by an attendee.
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Over the week, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Datuk Rashid Hasnon admitted to attending a durian feast in Johor last Sunday, 27 June.
Following which, he and 14 others were summoned for questioning by Batu Pahat police for allegedly flouting COVID-19 guidelines.
The feast was held at a durian orchard in Batu Pahat, Johor, and was captured on mobile by an attendee.
The video was subsequently uploaded on social media on Tuesday, 29 June, showing Rashid, who is also the Batu Pahat Member of Parliament, eating durians among a large group of people outdoors.
The deputy speaker — after claiming that the video was from last year before the first Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented — ended up admitting to attending the outdoor durian feast last Sunday.
The politician's admission only came once netizens picked holes in his previous claim and chastised him for not following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) under the MCO, reported New Straits Times.
According to Batu Pahat police chief ACP Ismail Dollah, Rashid turned up to give his statement at the district police headquarters on 1 July
"The case will be investigated under Regulation 18 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations 2021," Bernama quoted him as saying yesterday, 3 July.
Ismail added that while the police have completed recording the statements from all 15 individuals, they will now complete the investigation before referring the case to the deputy public prosecutor.
The Bernama report did not state any further details about the case.
Previously, in justification of attending the feast last Sunday, the deputy speaker had said that it was a visit to take stock of a local durian kampung farm that has been affected by the current MCO
"When I arrived at the farm, the durian farm owner served us [durians]. I had a little bit while discussing with the farm owner on the measures of help that can be channelled," he said in his statement.
"After the discussion ended, I left the programme early as I had to return to Kuala Lumpur."
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