Deputy speaker in hot water again over Aidiladha supper, aide denies SOP violation

 

Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Rashid Hasnon is in hot water again, this time for allegedly dining in, despite Covid-19 SOPs prohibiting this.

Police have confirmed that they are investigating Rashid over a photo of the incident.

This comes less than a month after he got into trouble for attending a durian feast.

The photo of the latest incident shows Rashid, his wife and his daughter having a meal.

At the bottom of the photo, another individual’s hand can be seen, while a half-filled glass can be seen on the left of the photo.

Rashid’s aide, however, denied there was any SOP breach, saying the Batu Pahat MP was just having supper with his family at a homestay.

According to Rashid’s private secretary Mohd Zaihan Mohd Zainal, Rashid had stayed at the homestay in Rengit, Batu Pahat, earlier this week so that he could partake in Aidiladha ritual sacrifices.

Zaihan said Rashid had booked a homestay near the slaughterhouse and his turn to slaughter a cow was only scheduled for 3am.

“The viral picture was taken early in the morning, before the slaughtering session, with his wife and daughter when they were having supper.

“It doesn’t arise that Rashid breached SOPs,” the aide added.

Late last month, Rashid was caught on camera having durian with a large group of people, in violation of SOPs. This coincided with an event he had in Batu Pahat on June 27.

Rashid had initially claimed that the video was from last year.

Zaihan at the time echoed his boss' claim, and said two people wearing the same clothes at both the durian feast and the official event was a “coincidence”.

However, Rashid later admitted to being at fault, and that he had commented without watching the video first.

Police have completed a probe into the durian feast and submitted their investigation papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers. - Mkini