KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 ― The police have arrested Malay group Red Shirts’ Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos after the latter smashed boxes of beer bottles with a sledgehammer outside the state government secretariat yesterday.
Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Fadzil Ahmat, in a statement, said the Umno leader and seven others were arrested in accordance with Section 143 and Section 268 of the Penal Code for participating in an illegal assembly and causing nuisance to the public after a police report was lodged by the state secretariat guards.
Fadzil said Jamal and others were picked up at 1.45am this morning in Sekinchan, Sabak Bernam.
“We will bring the detainees to the Shah Alam court today to seek remand,” he said.
Yesterday, Jamal broke 10 boxes containing 100 bottles of beer outside the secretariat’s building as a symbol of protest against any attempt to hold a beer festival in the state.
The Sungai Besar Umno division chief had arrived at the building and sought entrance to meet state Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali to voice his protest.
However, Jamal and his men were denied entrance by security officers, leading Jamal to then break the bottles in front of the main gate of the building, national newswire Bernama reported.
Jamal reportedly told reporters that the state government should not encourage the public to organise parties with free flow of beer.
He said he was just protesting against beer festivals and was not denying the right of non-Muslims to drink alcoholic beverages.
If found guilty under Section 143 of the Penal Code, Jamal can be imprisoned for up to six months, or fined, or both.
Local authorities refused to give a permit for an Oktoberfest beer festival scheduled at the 1 Utama shopping complex in Petaling Jaya after district police claimed the event was a target for militant attacks.
The organisers made an appeal to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) yesterday.
A German food and beverage event scheduled at a mall in Klang is also currently in limbo after district police claimed security threats against it.
