Police investigating Rashid Hasnon over alleged durian feast

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Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon has since denied any such event following viral pictures and a 14-second video of the alleged durian feast.

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Police are investigating allegations that Batu Pahat MP Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon attended a durian feast during the lockdown, which would be in violation of the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP).

Pictures and a 14-second video of a durian feast in an orchard showing Rashid among a large group of people dining on the thorny fruit have been widely shared on social media since yesterday. The orchard was said to be in Batu Pahat.

Batu Pahat police chief Assistant Commissioner Ismail Dollah said investigations have started following a report filed based on the video.

“The investigation is being conducted under Regulation 18 (1) of the Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Regulations 2021,” he said in a statement today.

News portal Malaysiakini had earlier today reported Rashid, who is also the Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker, refuting claims that he broke the lockdown SOP.

According to the report, Rashid said the durian party in the video happened last year, before the movement control order (MCO) was imposed.

However, a source who requested anonymity told The Malaysian Insight that the gathering did occur recently.

“It happened last week,” said the source briefly.

Several people who appeared in the durian video were also seen in photographs of an official event on June 27 which featured Rashid as well as Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin.

Zuraida confirmed she indeed attended an event at the Batu Pahat Municipal Council office last Sunday where Rashid was photographed with her.

She also confirmed images showing her receiving durians after the event.

“As I was leaving, they presented me with durians,” she told Malaysiakini.

However, Zuraida denied participating in any durian feast on that day.

“This (feast) has got nothing to do with me. I was not at the event.

“Receiving the durians is outside the municipal office building.

“I think the event is somewhere else,” she explained.