KUALA LUMPUR: Seventeen individuals who defied the Movement Control Order (MCO) by playing snooker at a snooker centre in Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, near here, were compounded a total RM85,000 for flouting the standard operation procedures (SOP) yesterday.

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

"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 years old, were also investigated under Section 6(1)(C) 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, 2021 and numerous snooker equipment.

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

Fakhrudin said the 23-year-old suspect refused to co-operate and was not satisfied when 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 help in investigation under Section 156 of the Penal Code for obstructing civil servants from carrying out their duties.

-- BERNAMA