Police to question all parties involved in rally near Dataran Merdeka

He said although the rally was peaceful, it was clearly against the rules, and a total of 400 participants had joined the rally.

"The rally was peaceful but the police will take follow-up action because it clearly violates Regulation 10 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (National Recovery Plan) 2021," he said in a press conference held at the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters.

He said no one was allowed to assemble or engage in any gathering in any place, whether for religious, social, sports, wedding or cultural activities.

He said the participants were planning to assemble at Dataran Merdeka, so the police had prevented them from entering the area.

"Therefore, they held the rally outside the Dataran Merdeka area, and we gave them time to disperse," he said.

Commenting on the compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP), Mohamad Zainal said the rally participants wore facemasks, however, physical distancing was not being observed.

"Physical distancing is difficult to control, because sometimes, we forget how close we are to each other. No arrests were made during the rally," he said, adding that the police had stationed 300 personnel to control the crowd.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Azmi Abu Kasim said several individuals involved in the rally had been identified, and would be called to record their statements at the Dang Wangi Police Headquarters soon to assist in the investigation.

"If there is enough evidence, the individuals concerned would be subjected to compounds over offences under Section 21A of Act 342 and Regulation 17(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) (National Recovery Plan) Regulations 2021," he said in a statement tonight.

At the same time, he said the police had received a report regarding the rally at about 3 pm today.

In another development, Azmi denied the authenticity of a 14-second video clip showing a mass procession on a street in Kuala Lumpur which had gone viral on social media.

"A review found that the incident did not happen in Kuala Lumpur, and the public is advised not to spread something that is not authentic, as it could affect public order," he said.

He said members of the public who had any queries or information could contact the Kuala Lumpur Police Hotline at 03-2146 0584/585 orvisit the nearest police station.