BATU PAHAT: Police have received a report from a 29-year-old woman who claimed a stray animal management contractor showed her a lewd hand gesture.
Batu Pahat OCPD Asst Comm Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani said the report was lodged at 2.02am on Friday (Sept 18), concerning the incident that took place at about 11.30am on Thursday (Sept 17).
“Preliminary investigations found that the incident occurred while the woman was passing through a residential area in Sri Gading here, where several workers from a stray animal management contractor hired by the local council were carrying out an operation.
“A misunderstanding occurred between both parties, which resulted in one of the workers showing the complainant a hand gesture believed to be lewd and humiliating,” he said in a statement on Friday.
ACP Shahrulanuar Mushaddat said police are investigating the case under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 (Act 336), concerning the use of obscene, threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.
Earlier, a video clip was posted on a Facebook page showing one of the workers making an obscene hand gesture after the person recording apparently confronted the contractors for mistreated stray dogs.
The Batu Pahat Municipal Council (MPBP) then issued a statement saying it would seek a full explanation from both parties to ensure fairness.
The council said it has instructed the contractor to take firm action against the worker involved if misconduct was found to have occurred.
