Six press workers accused of trespassing at MAEPS Covid-19 quarantine centre

Health workers are pictured at the Covid-19 Low-Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centre at the Malaysia Agriculture Expo Park in Serdang May 19, 2021. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
Health workers are pictured at the Covid-19 Low-Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centre at the Malaysia Agriculture Expo Park in Serdang May 19, 2021. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — The management of the Covid-19 Integrated Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC) at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) has lodged a police report against six media personnel from various agencies for alleged trespass.

Sepang district deputy police chief Supt Md Noor Aehwan Mohammad said in a statement this morning that media personnel allegedly entered without authorisation into an area housing 496 female Covid-19 patients.

“The police report was lodged by the MAEPS PKRC management team yesterday. The area concerned is a hall that had 496 positive Covid-19 patients. The hall has been gazetted as a quarantine and treatment centre, and outsiders cannot enter without permission.

“One of the media personnel who entered the hall even made a live video upon entering,” he said in a statement this morning.

Md Noor said police have so far recorded statements from 17 Health Ministry staff consisting of doctors and nurses who were on duty during the incident, to assist with police investigation and to verify if the media personnel were present in the hall.

He said investigations are being carried out under Section 448 of the Penal Code for trespassing and Rule 17(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within Infection Local Areas) Regulations 2021.

“Once the investigations are completed, we will submit the investigation papers to the deputy public prosecutor for further action,” he said.

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