KOTA KINABALU - City police have agreed to waive the urine test requirement before approving permits for the lion, dragon and unicorn dance troupes to perform during the upcoming Chinese New Year festival.
However, members of the troupes involved in a fight last year would still have to go for the urine test.
Sabah Dragon, Unicorn and Lion Dance Association President Danny Kok expressed appreciation to City Police Chief, ACP M Chandra for accepting the association's members' appeal to waive one of the conditions for the police permit.
According to Kok, he had just returned from overseas when members contacted him to complain about the "sudden introduction of the new requirement."
"I want to thank the city police chief for immediately agreeing to meet us today (Wednesday) to discuss the issue," he said, adding that Chandra had explained in detail to the association the rationale behind the new condition.
Kok said the reason for the urine test condition was due to the fighting incident involving different lion dance troupes last year that also saw one of the members stabbed and seriously wounded.
Kok agreed that the incident gave a bad image to the lion dance troupes as well as to the younger generation who witnessed the fighting, "which is not our culture."
"However, while the association appreciates the police's noble intention I also pleaded that the lion dance troupes original intention is to raise funds for schools and organisations. It is also to promote harmony among the people.
"It doesn't mean that all the troupes are involved. There could be one or two and these are the black sheep. Some of the things are beyond the control of the troupe leaders," he said, adding that there are about 40 to 50 troupes in the city alone.
Towards this end, Kok said Chandra agreed that those who are not in the police list would not be required to go for the urine test.
Besides that, Chandra also asked the association to assist in monitoring the unlicensed troupes soliciting money door-to-door, to ensure all the troupe members have proper documents as well as no movement on vehicles during transportation of troupes and their props.
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