KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — Sungai Besar Umno chief Datuk Jamal Md Yunos said today he has no problem being investigated by the police over his warning of a possible riot this Saturday at Petaling Street.
The leader told The Star Online that the police have already contacted him and that a meeting will be set soon.
“I have no problem with the police. They are just doing their job. They have already contacted me to record my statement.
“But because today is Hari Raya Haji, I will see them on a different day. The exact date has not been decided yet,” he was quoted as saying.
Jamal added, however, that his statement on the Petaling Street protest had been “blown out of proportion by the media”.
“In their haste to publish the news and compete with each other, they did not take my full statement.
“They misunderstood what I said. I am not the one organising the protest at Petaling Street. My concern is if the authorities fail to take action against the traders, the same group might return to protest,” he was quoted saying by the news portal.
Earlier today, deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said the police will haul up Jamal for questioning over his warning that a riot could occur at Petaling Street this weekend if authorities do not punish traders there over the sale of counterfeits and contraband.
Noor Rashid said that action against Jamal, who is also Umno Sungai Besar division chief, may be taken under Section 143 of the Penal Code as well as Section 105 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), which confers the police power to detain anyone to prevent civil unrest, among others.
Jamal yesterday said that the authorities’ failure to take action on Petaling Street traders allegedly selling fake goods will inevitably force “red shirt” protesters to return there this Saturday and possibly “riot”.
During the September 16 #Merah169 rally, protesters tried to breach a police barricade blocking off entry into Petaling Street, in a bid to reach the area known as “Chinatown” that Jamal later claimed was Chinese dominated and prejudicial against Malays.
The incident forced the police to use water cannons to disperse the crowd that lingered on despite the use of force.
The protesters dispersed only when Jamal came and promised them that he would press the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry to take action against Petaling Street traders for selling counterfeits and, according to him, pornographic material.
