Illegal lotto purchase: no abuse of power during checks, cops say

KUALA LUMPUR – Police have denied claims of abuse of power during an attempt to question a man over an alleged illegal lottery purchase at a local food stall here yesterday.

In a statement today, Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Muhammad Idzam Jaafar had responded to allegations posted by Twitter user SimpletonED and refuted claims of abuse of power by his officers in the course of their investigations. 

“Investigations showed that on May 21 at about 2.30pm, when officers from the Cheras police station were conducting patrols, they detected one local man allegedly purchasing an illegal lotto number online through the WhatsApp application.

“While police attempted to check the person’s mobile phone, he was uncooperative and had left the premises in his car to a nearby relative’s home.”

Idzam said in a statement that more officers had arrived at the second location in an attempt to provide an “explanation” on their presence and subsequently escorted the individual to the Cheras police station for further investigation.

He added that follow-up checks on the individual’s mobile phone showed the WhatsApp application was uninstalled, making the process of obtaining evidence on the alleged crime impossible.

After completing the documentation process, the individual was allowed to leave while a police report on the matter was also lodged, he said.

Idzam has urged the public not to speculate on the incident and called on those who have information on this incident to contact the Cheras police hotline at 03-9284 5050/ 5051 or the Kuala Lumpur police hotline at 03-2115 9999 or any nearby police station.

In a Twitter thread, SimpletonED said he was merely having a light meal in a small stall along Jalan Cheras Utama, near his mother’s home, when he was approached by two plainclothes policemen. 

Intimidasi Polis - Satu Pengalaman
Police Intimidation - An experience

Intimidasi polis satu mitos? Berdasarkan pengalaman, ianya satu kebenaran. Penyalahgunaan kuasa oleh pegawai tahap rendah dengan tujuan menakutkan rakyat yang tidak bersalah. (1/25)

Ini bebenang.

— 🇲🇾‎إدوين 🇲🇾 (@SimpletonED) May 22, 2022

They proceeded to ask for his details and to check his mobile phone, specifically his WhatsApp application.

When he refused to cooperate further, police attempted to prevent him from leaving the scene, but he managed to get to his mother’s home nearby.

He was eventually brought to the Cheras police station for questioning and was subsequently released. – The Vibes, May 23, 2022