JOHOR BARU, July 14 — The police said today Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman had only applied for house-to-house aid distribution and did not have approval for a centralised distribution at his parliamentary office, leading to the intervention by officials.

Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said this led to police asking him to stop operations yesterday, since he did not have the permission from the Muar District Disaster Operations Control Centre.

“The action to stop the aid handover programme at the office was made by the Muar district health enforcement officer,” said Ayob Khan in a media conference

“The directive was made because health officials saw the programme was attended by more than 100 people and did not comply with the set standard operating procedures (SOP) during this Covid-19 pandemic period.

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“Members of Parliament or state assemblymen are indeed allowed to carry out activities to provide assistance, but they need to have permission from the respective district disaster operations control centres,” he added.

According to Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, the directive was made because health officials saw the programme was attended by more than 100 people and did not comply with the SOP during this Covid-19 pandemic period. — Picture from Twitter/SyedSaddiq
According to Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, the directive was made because health officials saw the programme was attended by more than 100 people and did not comply with the SOP during this Covid-19 pandemic period. — Picture from Twitter/SyedSaddiq

He was responding to claims that the police had ordered Syed Saddiq to stop his aid distribution programme at his parliament office in Muar late yesterday.

“So, their offence is not having permission to hold such a programme at the Muar parliament office and the presence of too many people provided a social distancing problem,” he explained.

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Ayob Khan also advised any elected representative who wanted to organise any programmes to follow the set SOP by the National Security Council and apply for the respective district disaster operations control centres permission.

Yesterday, Syed Saddiq in his Facebook post claimed that the Muar parliament office was ordered to close by the police.

However, Malay Mail reported earlier today that the order for the programme activities at the Muar parliament office was made by the Ministry of Health officials. Police were present only for assistance.