NGO president, member who wore uniforms with police ranks, Malaysian coat of arms fined in KL

 

Roshazreel Roslan, who is the president of an NGO, namely the Malaysian Drugs and Crime Prevention Organisation (PDJM), was fined RM5,000 in default a month’s jail for displaying the Malaysian coat of arms and police ranks. — Reuters pic

KAJANG, Feb 6 — The actions of two men donning uniforms emblazoned with the Malaysian coat of arms and Royal Malaysian Police ranks that went viral on social media recently has resulted in them being fined RM5,500 and RM500 respectively by two Magistrate’s Courts here yesterday.

Roshazreel Roslan, who is the president of an NGO, namely the Malaysian Drugs and Crime Prevention Organisation (PDJM), was fined RM5,000 in default a month’s jail for displaying the Malaysian coat of arms and police ranks.

Meanwhile, for the offence of wearing the PDJM uniform to insinuate that they were personnel carrying out police duty without authorisation, he and another member of the NGO, Usmaluddin Shah Kamalsjah were each fined RM500 in default a months’ jail.

Magistrates Muhammad Noor Firdaus Rosli and Syahrul Sazly Md Sain who presided over the cases, sentenced the two after they pleaded guilty.

In front of Muhammad Noor Firdaus, Roshazreel, 46, was charged with owning a uniform displaying the coat of arms and police rank without authorisation, and using it in the Kajang area at 1 pm, Jan 29.

The charge was filed under Section 3(1)(a) of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963, and punishable under Section 5 of the same act, which carries a maximum fine of RM20,000 or a maximum of three years imprisonment, or both.

Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Hairuliqram Hairuddin had earlier requested a deterrent sentence as the accused should be aware of the law.

The accused, however, pleaded for a lenient sentence as his income had reduced during the movement control order (MCO) and is currently supporting his wife and 16-year-old child.

Meanwhile, in front of Syahrul Sazly, both men were charged with wearing the uniform without authorisation from a commanding officer at the same location, time and date.

The offence was committed under Section 89(c) of the Police Act 1967 and punishable with a maximum fine of RM500 or a maximum of six years’ imprisonment, or both.

Deputy public prosecutor Siti Nur Liyana Mohd Sulaiman requested for a deterrent sentence to serve as a lesson to the accused, taking into consideration that it was a serious offence which could confuse the public and threatened the good image of the police, in addition to the case having gone viral on social media.

Based on the facts of the case, on January 29, the complainant (police personnel) at the Kajang district police headquarters Prevention and Community Safety Division office received a message on Whatsapp regarding two men wearing their NGO uniform patrolling around Kajang without police supervision.

Further investigations revealed they were using the uniforms to conduct patrols and did not receive any authorisation from the police. ­— Bernama