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Johor police: Rumoured solidarity rally for Parit Raja flash mob protesters never happened (VIDEO)

In a statement, Batu Pahat district police chief Ismail Dollah said the incident, purportedly caught on video and first shared by a Twitter account, never took place. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
In a statement, Batu Pahat district police chief Ismail Dollah said the incident, purportedly caught on video and first shared by a Twitter account, never took place. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Johor police have denied that a solidarity rally was held in support of those arrested for participating in the May 13 flash mob protest in Parit Raja, Batu Pahat.

In a statement, Batu Pahat district police chief Ismail Dollah said the incident, purportedly caught on video and first shared by a Twitter account, never took place.

“The video that went viral on social media claimed to show a group of youth on motorcycles holding a solidarity rally for those arrested in connection with the incident in Parit Raja, Batu Pahat on May 13, 2021, where a banner reading ‘Kerajaan Gagal’ (‘Failed Government’) was displayed and flares lit,” the statement read.

“Batu Pahat IPD deny that this show of solidarity happened as alleged. Daylong monitoring was conducted, and no incident, as depicted in the video, was found to have occurred in the area in question, that is Jalan Parit Botak, Batu Pahat.

“It was determined that the viral video is believed to have been recorded on Thursday between 5pm and 7pm, before those suspected of being involved in the Parit Raja incident were arrested.”

The two-minute-and-20-second video showed a group of young men on motorcycles at a petrol station. It was accompanied by a caption stating that the group had gathered in solidarity with those arrested for the Parit Raja protest.

Yesterday, Ismail confirmed some 20 individuals were arrested by the police to assist investigations into a rioting incident that broke out in the early hours of the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri on Thursday.

He said those arrested were Parit Raja residents aged between 16 and 28 who are suspected of being responsible for lighting flares as well as making and displaying banners with the words “Kerajaan Gagal”. Videos and photographs of the supposed flash mob protest were widely shared on social media.

Ismail said the police have obtained a four-day remand order against those arrested.

“Investigations are being conducted under Section 144, Section 269 and Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, Section 8 of the Explosives Act, Rule 17(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Ordinance 2021 (Act 342) and Section 48 of the Road Transport Act,” he said in a statement yesterday.

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