Funeral procession: 13 individuals, including two minors, charged with flouting SOP

BUTTERWORTH: A total of 13 individuals, including two minors, were today charged in a Sessions Court with violating the standard operating procedure (SOP) during the total lockdown by taking part in a funeral procession on June 17.

Seven of them, including a woman and the two minors, pleaded guilty while six other men pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to them before Judge Norhayati Mohamad Yunus.

The court imposed a fine of RM6,000 or two months imprisonment on five of the accused, including the woman, while the two minors were allowed RM1,000 bail with one surety, pending a behavioral report before the court makes a decision.

For the other six men, they were allowed bail of RM3,000 with one surety each and the court fixed Aug 3 for mention.

All of them, aged between 15 and 35, were charged with being involved in a funeral procession for religious purposes in an infected area at Jalan Siram here at 2.50 pm on June 17.

They were charged under Regulation 9 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within the Infected Local Areas) Regulations (No.3) 2021, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or six months' jail or both, upon conviction.

Meanwhile, at the Magistrate's Court, four of the men pleaded not guilty to charges of having tattoos and possessing swastika and coin logo banners symbolising a secret society group.

They were charged with committing the offence at the same place, time and date under Section 52 (3) of the Societies Act 1966 and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code which, upon conviction, carries a jail term not exceeding five years and a maximum fine of RM15,000.

Magistrate M. Kalaiarasi set bail at RM3,000 for each of the accused with one surety and ordered them to report to the nearest police station each month until the case is completed and set Aug 3 for mention.

Deputy public prosecutor Khairul Anuar Abd Halim and Mohammad Syafiq Nasrullah Saleem Ali prosecuted while all the accused were represented by lawyers from the National Legal Aid Foundation.

-- BERNAMA