Quote:

 

Police set up roadblocks to search for pirated discs Tuesday, 14 April 2009 07:33am
ŠThe Sun (Used by permission)

PENANG (April 13, 2009): Police in Penang have set up roadblocks to check for pirated discs just when vehicle owners think they can breathe a sigh of relief as an SMS claim of a crackdown by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry on motorists in possession of fakes turned out to be a false alarm.

The police action has caught many off-guard and motorists fret at the sight of roadblocks as it is not uncommon for them to be in possession of a few pirated CDs or even VCDs or DVDs in their vehicles.

The SMS that was making its rounds lately has it that the ministry would set up roadblocks at major roads and highways to crack down on motorists in possession of pirated discs.

It also reminded motorists that offenders can be fined a maximum of RM10,000 for each pirated disc seized, or jailed.

However, the ministry has dismissed the sms as baseless.

But barely a week after the ministry's clarification, police set up roadblocks in Sungai Pinang Road at 9am on Saturday to search vehicles for pirated discs.

Northeast District police chief Asst Comm Azam Abdul Hamid (pix) confirmed to Nanyang Siang Pau that police had indeed set up roadblocks to check for pirated discs in vehicles.

He said apart from checking the validity of motorists' road tax discs and driving licences, it is also within the jurisdiction of the police to set up roadblocks to crackdown on pirated discs in vehicles.

Azam said these were routine roadblocks and not set up under any special directive.

He declined to give the number of motorists booked for having pirated discs.

A motorist had earlier tipped off the daily about the roadblock.

The motorist, who was not named in the report, said he was stopped at a Sungai Pinang Road roadblock where police searched his glove compartment and boot for fake discs.

He said he saw police issuing summonses to several motorists but was not sure whether they were booked for having fakes.

On April 4, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Zain Mohd Dom told the media that the ministry had no plans to set up roadblocks to search vehicles for pirated discs.

Penang domestic trade and consumer affairs department chief enforcement officer M. Gunaselan also confirmed over the weekend that the department had not set up any roadblock last Saturday.

He, however, declined to comment on the SMS being circulated, saying he had not seen it.

Meanwhile, an aide to Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Lian Hoe told Nanyang that the SMS was not true.

"It was probably started by someone out to create fear among the public," said the aide.

wills888

May 20 2009, 10:45 AM

He said apart from checking the validity of motorists' road tax discs and driving licences, it is also within the jurisdiction of the police to set up roadblocks to crackdown on pirated discs in vehicles.

Azam said these were routine roadblocks and not set up under any special directive.

He declined to give the number of motorists booked for having pirated discs.

wills888

May 20 2009, 10:45 AM

He said he saw police issuing summonses to several motorists but was not sure whether they were booked for having fakes.

wak avanza

May 20 2009, 03:07 PM

Hmmmm...i copy to memori card and tumb drive..no cd,vcd & dvd

ongkh

May 20 2009, 02:04 PM

wills888

May 20 2009, 10:45 AM

He said he saw police issuing summonses to several motorists but was not sure whether they were booked for having fakes.

if this is true, better ask the officer go to rob the bank nearby......
easy.........and.......... more $$$

sneak

May 21 2009, 09:42 AM

b4 they want to simply summon us y dont we go and check inside the policeman own car first ... i bet there will be boxes of pirates cd's n dvd's at the back of their car boot :thumbdown :thumbdown ... xrated one somemore !!!

Avanza1point5

May 21 2009, 01:56 PM

you guys should know better, how news/information are, after being relay from 1 person to another.... by the time it reaches the 10th person, or 20th person, the story will be different already :)

What I heard was that policemen confiscated a FAKE roadtax DISC from a car - as you can see from the wording, how this news can get out of hand?? Police don't have a jurisdiction to search public car for no reason one lah. Anyone lawyer in here, maybe they can shed some light into this?

Avanza1point5

May 21 2009, 01:56 PM

Ok here is my 2 cent 2 kupang worth,

you guys should know better, how news/information are, after being relay from 1 person to another.... by the time it reaches the 10th person, or 20th person, the story will be different already :)

What I heard was that policemen confiscated a FAKE roadtax DISC from a car - as you can see from the wording, how this news can get out of hand?? Police don't have a jurisdiction to search public car for no reason one lah. Anyone lawyer in here, maybe they can shed some light into this?

Avanza1point5

May 21 2009, 01:56 PM

Anyone lawyer in here, maybe they can shed some light into this?

alam

May 24 2009, 09:07 PM

Passed a road block this afternoon. They never check anything. Just check motorbikes.