17 fined RM85,000 for playing snooker at PJ centre

Seventeen people who defied the movement control order (MCO) by playing snooker at a centre in Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, were compounded a total RM85,000 for flouting the SOPs yesterday.

Petaling Jaya district police chief ACP Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said police raided the centre which was operating during the MCO at about 4pm after receiving intelligence and information.

“Each individual was compounded RM5,000 under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2021,” he said in a statement today.

He said two foreign caretakers of the premises were also detained under Section 269 of the Penal Code for negligence which could cause the spread of infectious diseases and endanger others.

He said the duo, aged aged 25 and 27, are also being investigated under Section 6(1) of the Immigrations Act 1959/63 for staying in Malaysia without valid documents.

Also seized in the raid were two workers’ cards, a business receipt dated May 30, and snooker equipment.

In a separate incident, a local man was detained for obstructing civil servants who were on patrol under the MCO in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, at about 3pm.

Fakhrudin said the 23-year-old suspect refused to cooperate and was not satisfied when an inspection was performed on him by the policemen.

“The suspect provoked the policemen by questioning their duty when asked to furnish his identity card. He also recorded the incident and threatened to viral it on the social media,” he said.

The suspect was remanded for a day to assist the investigation under Section 156 of the Penal Code for obstructing civil servants from carrying out their duties.