SEPANG: A motorsports organiser was compounded RM20,000 for failing to ensure physical distancing during a drag race competition at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) here yesterday.

KLIA District police chief ACP Imran Abd Rahman, who confirmed the matter today, said the organiser had obtained a permit to carry out the event at the circuit but failed to ensure compliance with COVID-19 prevention standard operating procedures (SOP).

"We compounded the organiser for failing to control the crowd, not complying with physical distancing requirments as per the SOP," he said when contacted following a video showing a police vehicle present at the circuit to disperse the spectators present at the event.

Commenting on the video, Imran said the police had been asked to disperse spectators who refused to comply with dispersal instructions even though the event was over.

"After the police arrived, the spectators cooperated and dispersed and nothing untoward happened," he said, adding that the police vehicle arrived at the circuit at about 9 pm.

The organiser, MUSC Motorsports, in a statement posted on their Facebook page, also confirmed that they were compounded for failing to run the event as required under the new norms.

"Our failure to control social (physical) distancing resulted in the event having to be halted several times and in the end we had to acquiesce to being compounded.

"As such, we apologise to all parties involved and are not blaming anyone whether it is the enforcement agency, circuit provider, that is the SIC, programme partners, drag teams, visitors or followers of MUSC Drag Racing," MUSC Motorsports said.

In KUALA LUMPUR, SIC in a statement said it had no involvement in the failure to comply with the SOP.

SIC clarified that the SOP guidelines for organising motorsport events as well as 'Track Day' activities with the presence of spectators during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) period were given in advance to the organiser of the programme.

"This was also the first time that SIC had allowed entry of 2,000 spectators at the Main-Grandstand based on the limits allowed by the SOP.

"SIC collaborated with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) at SIC to disperse the gathered public. Compounds were issued to those who breached the prescribed SOPs such as on wearing face masks and physical distancing," the statement said.

-- BERNAMA