KOTA BELUD: A man believed to be mentally ill was detained by a police team after he was found disturbing workers at several premises around the Kota Belud town area yesterday.
Kota Belud District Police Chief Supt. Shahruddin Mat Husain said police acted after a viral video showed an unknown man entering an optical shop and a community clinic.
He said officers were dispatched to the location at around 4pm to detain the suspect and brought him to the Kota Belud Hospital for further examination.
“Further investigation revealed the 38-year-old suspect is a psychiatric patient receiving treatment at the hospital,” he said.
“The suspect is also homeless and has been living rough around the Kota Belud town area,” he added.
According to Shahruddin, the man will be referred to Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang in Kota Kinabalu today for continued psychiatric care.
“The public is advised not to speculate on the incident, as it could cause unnecessary confusion,” he said.
“Anyone with information regarding the incident or the suspect’s family members is urged to contact the Kota Belud District Police Headquarters (IPD) at 088-976600 or 019-2188334,” he added.
Earlier, a 1-minute-8-second video clip went viral, believed to have been recorded at the Kota Belud Community Clinic, showing the suspect entering the premises through the main entrance and rummaging through items inside.
The man was also seen climbing onto a chair and attempting to switch off the main power supply before walking off while uttering incoherent words.
