Public advised to refrain from entering Johor Palace grounds without permission

State police chief Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said the palace ground was a restricted area defined under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959.

"Any person who committed an offence or a violation of the act as provided under Section 7 (of the same act) is punishable by imprisonment up to two years or a fine of RM1,000 or both, upon conviction.

"Apart from trespassing, one can also be punished under other existing laws in accordance with the offence committed," he said in a statement here Thursday.

He was responding to a case involving a 28-year-old man who was charged in the Johor Bahru Sessions Court on Monday (March 20) for allegedly trespassing the palace grounds and trying to burn down the Istana Besar Johor Bahru.

Wan Ahmad Najmuddin said the owner of the property or the area was entitled to take strong action against aggressors who trespassed their property as this was a restricted area.

"Following the incident, police have launched further investigations to trace the mastermind who had used mentally-unstable people to commit aggression and will bring them to justice," he said.

During the 11.45pm accident, the accused, from Felda Palong Timur, Segamat, was riding his motorcycle before entering the palace grounds.