Preliminary action has already been taken against the soldier implicated in the alleged abuse, he said.

Affendi stressed that soldiers on assignments were expected to act within the limits of the law.

“On the other hand, they perform their duties as directed to maintain national and public security. We call on the community or those under quarantine to cooperate with the authorities,” he said.

“The soldier might have acted a bit over the limit but it was an isolated case,” he told a press conference here today.

In the 19-second video, a man in military pants, with a stick in his hand, is seen ordering the unidentified worker to roll on the ground. The incident is believed to have happened in Klang, Selangor.

The foreigner, said to be a factory worker there, was allegedly being punished after violating a quarantine order.

In this regard, Affendi asked the people to abide by the standard operating procedures set by the government and not to provoke security personnel on duty.

Earlier, Affendi officiated at the dissolution parade and national service medal conferment for the Malaysian Battalion 850-7 United Nations peacekeeping force who have just returned from their mission in Lebanon.

The ceremony was held at the Army Basic Training Centre here.