Datuk Seri among 32 hauled up for SOP breach

Breaking the rules: Thirty-two people were caught violating the conditional MCO rules during a raid at a nightclub in Jalan Gemilang, Bukit Mertajam.

BUKIT MERTAJAM: A Datuk Seri businessman was among 34 party-goers who were arrested during a raid at a nightclub in Jalan Gemilang here.

All of them were so engrossed in drinking and socialising way past midnight yesterday and did not even realise the presence of police in the premises.

Central Seberang Prai OCPD Asst Comm Shafee Abd Samad said the 60-year-old Datuk Seri was detained with 17 others inside a special karaoke room to celebrate a woman’s birthday.

“All of the suspects, aged between 19 and 62, were busy partying when the raiding team entered the premises.

“Checks showed the suspects did not observe the standard operating procedure such as physical distancing, wearing face masks and registering via the MySejahtera app, ” he said, adding that two illegal immigrants were also nabbed during the 12.05am raid.

The two foreigners, a Bangladeshi man who worked as a part-time cleaner there, and a Vietnamese woman who had followed her Malaysian boyfriend to the nightclub, were detained under Section 15 (1) of the Immigration Act.

ACP Shafee said all the locals were issued with compounds in accordance with Regulation 19(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations.

“The nightclub provides special rooms for their guests to hold functions and parties.

“We have been monitoring it for some time, ” he said.

ACP Shafee said the operation, dubbed Ops Noda, was conducted by a team from the district CID.