Umno Teluk Bahang assemblyman Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain Shah said that the national park authorities have identified the patrolman who allegedly assisted the group, and are probing why he did not report the matter earlier.

He suggested the patrolman was possibly "threatened" into silence by the participants. adding that that the patrolman had advised the group against carrying out the nude activities but they did not listen.

 

"We can't just leave the matter alone as our patrolman may have been threatened not to act or report the matter," Shah Headan said at a press conference in Penang today.

 

"If indeed this has happened, then the group has committed two wrongs - being nude in public, and threatening an officer on duty," he added.

 

"It is possible that he was threatened as he was the only one on duty at the time. I can't reveal who he is, as he is scared now," Shah Headan added.

The Umno rep was referring to the alleged nude sports activities which supposedly took place on May 31, at Teluk Kampi, within the park.

 

The incident caught national attention after a five minute video clip of the group activities - including nude body painting, Gangnam Style Horse Dance, Crab Walking and a campfire, was uploaded on YouTube. 

 

No jurisdiction

The park is managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Penang government says it has no jurisdiction over the area.

 

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng ( left ) has said that the state would never approve such activities,

 

Shah Headan added that visitors have to sign into the park's registration book to enter and therefore could be identified.

 

"We can't say these cases are isolated but unfortunately it happened in Teluk Bahang, and this is something Taman Negara officers have to look into," Shah Headan said.

 

"We are probing to ensure that the incident does not recur and to find out we were informed so late about it," he added.

 

Shah Headan said signboards around Taman Negara made it clear that visitors cannot wear ‘revealing clothes’.

 

"But then these people were nude. So probably the signboards also needs changing."

He added that patrolmen went on rounds to tell visitors about the "do’s and don’t’s" in the park and expressed disappointment at such behaviour by Malaysians as it was a "bad example to our children".

Seven Malaysians involved

Seven Malaysians were among 15 individuals who were caught indulging in a nudist sports camp in the Taman Negara Forest Reserve in Teluk Bahang, Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi said today.

Rahim ( left ) said police have recorded about 10 statements from individuals to help them in their investigation into the event, which was captured in a video clip uploaded on YouTube.

"The 15 include seven Malaysians, four Singaporeans, two Myanmar nationals, an Indian national and a Filipino," Rahim told a press conference.

"We are working with other law enforcement agencies on the matter," he added.

However, Rahim declined to reveal details about the organiser of the event, which is dubbed Penang Nude Sports Game 2014.

However, he vowed to arrest the culprits behind the event soon.

'Taman Negara ranger assisted at nudist camp'