Pekan Penaga morning market closed for flouting SOP

Photo used for illustration purposes only
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KEPALA BATAS – The Pekan Penaga morning market here, will not be allowed to operate next week after an inspection conducted today found that the organisers failed to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) stipulated under the the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).

Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) district police chief ACP Noorzainy Mohd Noor said the police along with several other agencies including the Health Ministry (MOH) and Seberang Perai City Council which conducted inspections at 9 am today found the organisers and visitors defying SOPs.

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“The inspections found that the organisers did not provide a way to enter and exit the market, failed to control traders and the public resulting in no physical distancing, hence the police issued two compounds against the organisers of the morning market.

“Following the compound, the market was ordered to close next week and all the premises were not allowed to operate, as the organisers failed to comply with the SOPs and the MOH will be monitoring before deciding to allow the market to reopen,” he told reporters after conducting Ops Compliance amid COVID-19 at the market today.

The morning market operates every Thursday and Sunday which is the focus of many, especially on weekends.

Meanwhile, in another development, Noorzainy said police arrested seven men who were busy packing ketum water for sale in a raid on a house in Butterworth at about 1 am today in an operation to prevent crime and illegal racers.

He said all the men in their 20s were believed to be working with a syndicate making and selling ketum water and investigations found that they processed the water at the house before selling it to buyers around Butterworth for RM5 a packet.

“During the raid, there were 50 packets of ketum water that had been packaged and according to them more had been sold earlier because every day the syndicate sells almost a thousand packets due to high demand from customers,” he said.

He said police also arrested a 25-year-old man under the operation for driving while under the influence of alcohol during a roadblock at the Butterworth Outer Ring Road, from 10 pm last night until 4 am today.

“During the operation, 202 individuals and 168 vehicles were checked. Police issued 65 summonses for various offences. The Road Transport Department which was involved in the roadblock issued 30 summonses while the Environment Department issued seven notices and three summonses,” he said.

— BERNAMA

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