Cops nab over 200 Penang volunteer patrollers after Merdeka march-past
The Malay Mail Online – 5 hours agoRELATED CONTENT
- Penang volunteer patrol unit (PPS) members, clad in their signature purple vests, …
GEORGE TOWN, Aug 31 — More than 200 Penang volunteer patrol unit (PPS) members were arrested and hauled to the Beach Street police station after they marched in the Merdeka parade here this morning.
In the 10am incident, the PPS members, clad in their signature purple vests, were one of the contingents participating in a march past for the Merdeka Day celebration parade at the Esplanade.
It is learnt that the group was escorted to the nearby police station immediately after they finished their march past.
When contacted, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin said the parade was still ongoing with other contingents yet to pass when the PPS members were led to the police station.
“There was heavy FRU presence at the area this morning where they were guarding the front of the Beach Street police station,” he said.
He said the PPS members were herded to the police station and later led to a police bus behind the station.
“I believe they will be taken to the George Town police headquarters in Jalan Patani. This is outrageous!” Sim said.
Northeast district police chief ACP Mior Faridalatrash Wahid confirmed the incident and said the PPS members were being investigated under the Societies Act 1966.
The PPS has been in the limelight recently after a 51-year-old man lodged a police report alleging that two PPS members had beaten him up.
The duo lodged police reports in return to deny the allegations and claimed the man had attacked first.
This issue led to an uproar with Barisan Nasional leaders urging for the unit to be disbanded with Malay rights group Perkasa lodging police reports urging the police to investigate the unit’s activities.
Earlier this week, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the police was investigating PPS under Section 41 of the Societies Act as it is not registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
He warned that the volunteers will be arrested if they continued with PPS activities.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar also reportedly said police have information that the unit had acted like vigilantes.
He said PPS must be stopped from the beginning before “they go out of control” while adding that no state government is allowed to form its own standing army or police force.
The state government subsequently defended the unit, with the Penang chief minister saying they would offer legal assistance to the unit members and defend them if they were “wrongly arrested” for participating in PPS activities.
PPS was formed by the state government in May 2011 to assist the public in all situations including directing traffic, in times of disaster and to patrol the streets as a preventive measure against crime.
Currently, there are more than 9,000 PPS members in the state and the members have all undergone various courses that include first aid and disaster management.
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