MELAKA: The controversy surrounding a compound notice issued to a 44-year-old woman from Alor Gajah has taken a new twist, after she denied having a sister living in another district, as claimed by the police.

       Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong said the woman wanted to clear the air after a statement by Melaka Tengah OCPD Asst Comm Afzanizar Ahmad was reported in news portals on Sunday (June 27).

       The reports stated that the woman gave the reason for violating standard operating procedure on inter-district travel as visiting her sister in Taman Merdeka.

       This apparently caused her to be slapped with the RM5,000 compound notice.

       "The woman called me after reading the news to say that she has no sister living in Taman Merdeka, which is under the Melaka Tengah district.

       "She also denied giving this reason when stopped by police on June 13," Khoo said in a statement.

       Khoo said the woman has a sister who lives in Durian Tunggal in Alor Gajah, the same district in which she resides.

       He said the woman also claimed she explained to police that she was on her way to the hypermarket, which is also in Alor Gajah.

       Khoo said the woman had appealed to the district Health Office to consider cancelling her compound notice, but instead was only given a 50% discount.

       "She cannot afford to raise RM2,500 and that is the reason she has sought my help," he added.

       According to ACP Afzanizar's statement, the woman was issued the compound notice after she told police she was on the way to her sister's house in Melaka Tengah.

       He said the woman told policemen she was driving from her home to her sister's house in Taman Merdeka, which is 8km away.

       However, he said the woman did not mention that she was also buying groceries when she was stopped.

       ACP Afzanizar said the woman had failed to provide a valid reason for travelling, nor any supporting documents, when stopped.

       On Friday (June 25), Khoo highlighted the woman's case and said she was stopped along Jalan Taman Merdeka, a dual carriageway which at some stretches skirts the border of the Alor Gajah and Melaka Tengah districts.

       It is learnt that Melaka police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abdul Majid Mohd Ali is expected to visit the site where the compound notice was issued to get a clearer picture of the issue.

       Khoo said Jalan Taman Merdeka is the only access to the hypermarket and to the Taman Merdeka housing estate.

       However, he said residents of Taman Merdeka in Melaka Tengah are now unsure if they can buy essential items from the hypermarket because it is located in a separate district although it is the closest one to them.