Masai restaurateur nabbed for obstructing authorities from carrying out duties

PASIR GUDANG: Police have opened up an investigation paper regarding a restaurant owner who obstructed Pasir Gudang City Council (MBPG) and the traffic police from carrying out their duties at the premises in Taman Rinting, Masai, here.

Seri Alam OCPD Supt Mohd Sohaimi Ishak said that the incident occurred last Thursday (March 21) at 10.25pm when the enforcement team was conducting Ops Bersepadu.

"Our investigation revealed that the operation was conducted in line with Section 50 of the Licencing of Trade, Commerce, and Industry Bylaws (Pasir Gudang Municipal Council) 2017.

"The Act allows the authority to take action and confiscate items that belonged to the premises where, during the operation, MBPG confiscated chairs and tables from the restaurant," he said in a statement here on Saturday (March 23).

Supt Mohd Sohaimi added that the premises owner had placed chairs and tables on the fight-foot way in front of the restaurant which is an offence under Section 46(1)(d) of the Street, Drainage, and Building Act 1974.

The case was being investigated under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing a public servant as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities or services.

"We would like to remind members of the public not to create any speculation that could disturb the investigation and create miscommunication in society," he added.

Meanwhile, Pasir Gudang mayor Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman, when contacted, said that he would be calling for a press conference soon regarding the matter along with the premise owner.

"It is better to hear both sides of the story; let's be fair," he said.

Earlier, a TikTok user under the name Ailiff uploaded seven videos showing a confrontation between the premise owner and the MBPG enforcement team.

At the time of writing, some of the videos had received more than four million views.