Youth arrested for punching security guard over SOP

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SIBU: A youth was arrested by police last Saturday for punching a security guard at Sibu Central Market after being reprimanded for not adhering to the Recovery Movement Control Order standard operating procedure (SOP).

In the 11.45am incident, the guard had asked the youth and his friend to fill out their particulars and undergo temperature checks before they could enter the market.

“The complainant in the case is the victim who was punched – a 31-year-old security guard – who had reprimanded the youth and his friend for not adhering to the SOP.

“One of the suspects punched the guard, while the other held him down,” said Sibu police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit in a statement yesterday, adding that the two youths could have been drunk at the time.

“The guard reprimanded the two for cutting the queue, not wearing face masks, not writing their names properly, and not writing down their phone contacts and also their temperatures on the record book.

“He (security guard) then took the two away from Gate 1 of the market where his colleague was waiting.

“A fight broke out between the security guard and one of the suspects, while the other (suspect) stood nearby,” he said, adding that the security guard was hit on the back of his head.

“The youth who punched the victim fled but was later caught by members of the public. His friend, however, was able to escape arrest,” said Stanley.

He said his men then brought the youth to track down his friend at the latter’s house in Lorong Rambutan, but he was not at home.

The case is being investigated under Section 147 of the Penal Code for rioting, and also under Regulation 3 of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2020 for violation of SOP.