Police deny stopping Christmas celebrations in KL

The police today denied the obstruction of Christmas celebrations in the capital city in the wake of a TikTok video which went viral on social media, claiming that the police and military personnel had prevented people from celebrating the occasion.

In a statement, Dang Wangi district police chief Noor Dellhan Yahaya said personnel from the district headquarters had gone on rounds to ensure adherence to health SOPs under Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan.

“The teams were mobilised to certain locations that had attracted crowds to prevent activities that could cause difficulty in observing physical distancing and compliance with the instructions of the health director-general,” he said.

The one minute, 34 second clip had shown police officers in the Bukit Bintang shopping district in Kuala Lumpur, making rounds and speaking to several individuals. Sirens can be heard in the background.

Some of the officers were armed with guns while others spoke through loudspeakers, warning pedestrians against gathering in groups.

“Keep walking, you are forbidden from gathering,” an officer can be heard saying.

“The police and the army prevent the celebration of Christmas,” the caption accompanying the video, uploaded by user @jamalali866, read.

But Noor Dellhan denied that the army had been involved, saying the police had gone with the support of personnel from the general operation force and not the military as claimed in the video.

He also urged the public to continue adhering to the SOPs set by the National Security Council in order to curb the spread of Covid-19.

“Failure to do so could result in action under the rules and regulations currently in force,” he said.