Police reports lodged against Islamic affairs minister for breaching MCO

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — At least five police reports have been made against Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri for allegedly violating the movement control order.

According to Malaysiakini, the reports were lodged against the Islamic affairs minister after he allegedly invited several people to his Putrajaya office for a meeting during the MCO.

The reports were filed in Kelantan, Johor, and Selangor at the start of the month. Zulkifli is said to have met with Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Fathul Bari Mat Jahya, along with university lecturers Rozaimi Ramli and Ahmad Kamilin Jamilin, and several others

It is understood the meeting was to discuss the planned translation of a holy book, with the meeting's photos uploaded by Zulkifli on social media.

One anonymous complainant when contacted urged the authorities to investigate the matter as the minister's action directly violated the MCO, claiming that based on the photos the meeting occurred without any social distancing and that the people meeting him went beyond 10km for the meeting.

When contacted by Malay Mail, Kajang police chief ACP Mohd Zaid Hassan confirmed the police received two reports against Zulkifli, and that an inquiry paper has been opened for preliminary investigations.

“For the time being, only the verbal recording of the complainants was taken. Statements from the other parties will be taken after instructions have been received from the Selangor Contingent Police Headquarters,” he said.

Several prominent individuals have recently been charged in court and fined for breaking the MCO, including Deputy Health Minister I Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali and Perak exco Razman Zakaria late last month, who were fined RM1,000 after sharing a meal with a group of people at a tahfiz school in Lenggong, Perak.

On May 5, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s daughter Datuk Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid and her husband Datuk Saiful Nizam Mohd Yusoff pleaded guilty to violating the MCO after the former posted photos on social media of their meeting with Environment and Water Deputy Minister Datuk Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad. They were subsequently fined RM800 each.