Cops should refrain from arresting people mourning Covid-19 deaths, says MCA


Thirty-one individuals were arrested during a candlelight vigil organised by activist movement #Lawan in remembrance of Covid-19 victims at Dataran Merdeka last night.

However, as the government has gradually relaxed restrictions on the implementation of the National Recovery Plan, the police should refrain from acting overzealously against the activists.

All the detainees have since been released after they were fined RM2,000 each for violating Regulation 10 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations (Measures within Infected Local Areas) (National Recovery Plan) 2021.

Nevertheless, rather than issuing fines and arresting the individuals who had gathered, the police could certainly have persuaded them to depart.

The untold sufferings reaped by the Covid-19 pandemic unto society is a collective feeling shared by everyone. The destruction afflicted by this infectious disease is akin to war.

The coronavirus has claimed more than 13,000 lives in our country. These figures are cruel and do not lie. While the gathering of the activists posed a health risk during the pandemic, the police need not have dealt with them too harshly.

All in all, the number of people testing positive every day remains steep. The time is certainly not suitable for people to assemble.

To safeguard the health and safety of our family members and ourselves, gatherings or physical vigils are discouraged.

If there is any intention to organise similar events in future, going online should be considered as a more practical avenue.

Saw Yee Fung

MCA spokesperson

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