KUALA LUMPUR: Police have launched investigations into a video that purportedly show a Malaysian Civil Defence Force (MCDF) personnel defying orders from a senior police officer during a landslide at Taman Bukit Permai 2 in Ampang Jaya last Thursday.
The incident, which occurred at Taman Mega Jaya in a residential area adjacent to the landslide site, showed the MCDF officer arguing with Ampang Jaya police chief ACP Mohamad Farouk Esha after he was not allowed to enter the disaster site.
The 55-second video was posted on a Facebook page and has been widely viewed.
Mohamad Farouk, who was the disaster operations commander, or ground commander, yesterday said on assessing the situation and taking safety into account on the day of the incident, he had issued an order for MCDF teams to be barred from entering the disaster area as it could compromise the safety of search-and-rescue teams and disrupt the work of rescuers.
He said the search site was narrow and had limited space, with the Fire and Rescue Department and the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team racing to find the trapped victims.
Mohd Farouk said the MCDF officer had allegedly defied orders and entered the site, which was a restricted area, without permission.
“The circulation of the video has affected the image of the police force, especially the Ampang Jaya district police, and can be misinterpreted by the public. We will be calling up the MCDF officer and the Facebook account holder who posted the video soon to record their statements,” he said.
The case is being investigated for circulating material that can cause public fear or alarm under Section 505(b) and defying orders of a civil servant under Section 188, both under the Penal Code, and for the misuse of network facilities under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.
Under directives of the National Security Council Act on disaster management and relief, police assume the role of on-scene commanders and have full authority to issue orders during all types of disasters.
He urged those with information on the incident to contact Ampang Jaya police at 03-42897222 or investigations officer ASP Hida Hayati at 019-3838797.
In Thursday’s tragedy, a landslide came crashing down from a hillslope and hit a dozen houses and several vehicles at about 6pm. Four people were killed while a fifth resident was rescued by firemen.
The victims were from two houses closest to the landslide.