Residents learn about crime prevention from the experts

The New Straits Times, Wed 31 March 2010

OME 1,000 Cheras Perdana residents braved the scorching 39 degree heat to participate in a community policing event recently.

They learnt about how crime can be reduced through an exhibition and demonstrations by the police.

The half-day event, which took place on the grounds of the Bandar Tun Hussein Onn Carrefour, was organised by the Kajang police district contingent and the Cheras Perdana Neighbourhood Watch committee in collaboration with private organisations.

In his speech, Selangor deputy police chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan said it was crucial for the public to be more vigilant and to help the police fight crime. As the population continued to increase, he said, the public would play an important role in passing on information to assist in investigations.

He said the public should learn about crime prevention methods to keep their neighbourhoods safe.

He said the majority of crimes in the state were committed by youths.

He added that about 75 per cent of serious and drug-related crimes were carried out by them.

Thaiveegan said community policing programmes could help to increase their awareness of the pitfalls of crime and lead to better behaviour within thepatterns alongside the family unit.

“Under the ‘Ready to Serve’ concept, police have stepped up efforts to fight crime by taking a proactive stand to reduce red tape in order to make it easier for the public to lodge reports.

“Police have been conducting community policing programmes to equip the public with crime prevention knowledge and increasing patrols in crime-prone areas,” he said.

An example of this, said Thaiveegan, was the initiative launched recently to allow the public to lodge reports with police personnel on the ground without going to a police station.

He added that collective effort was needed toin the shared responsibility of reduce crime and is needed to ensure peace and unity in the country.

Kajang police chief ACP Mohd Sakaruddin Che Mood said there was a reduction in the crime rate in the Cheras Perdana area with robbery and snatch theft leading in number.

At the Batu 9 police station, the number of there were reductions to serious crime cases recorded fell from 599 in 2008 to 466 last year and robbery cases fellhad fallen from 1,648 in 2008 to 1,353 last year. The area has some 250,000 residents.

In Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, there was a slight increase in serious crime cases from 116 in 2008 to 121 last year. But thebut saw a reducing number of robberies reported declined from 334 cases reported in 2008 to 314 cases last year. There are about 7,000 residents here.

“This was due to a stronger rapport between the public and the police which led to better allocation of resources such as manpower and more effective investigation methods,” said Mohd Sakaruddin.

Cheras Perdana Neighbourhood Watch committee chairman Mansor Sulaiman said: “Various private organisations, NGOs, village heads and residents’ associations worked together to make this event a success and we thanked the police for the for sharing what is community policing programme.”

The public mingled with the top brass of the state Selangor police contingent while being entertained by demonstrations and performances.

The show began with a 1Malaysia dance performance by 20 students from SMK Cheras Perdana.

A T-baton demonstration by 28 officers from the Kajang police district headquarters followed. They showed the crowd how the retractable T-baton is used to disarm and arrest criminals.

Ten officers from the district then staged a poco poco line dance performance to five songs.

A K-9 unit from Pulapol who demonstrated how police dogs are used to apprehend criminals.

There were 10 stalls exhibiting various crime prevention methods and other items set up by police and government agencies.

The Kajang police contingent received 10 Lenovo netbooks from the Masterskill University College of Health Sciences.

The college staff and students offered free medical check-ups, blood grouping tests and physiotherapy treatment to the public.

Burning rubber on the streets of Cyberjaya

From The Star, Mon 29 Mar 2010

EVEN before F1 drivers could burn rubber in Sepang next month, motorsport fans were already behind the wheel in Cyberjaya.

A line-up of two and four-wheeled action which included mini bike-racing, go-karting, radio-controlled drifting and drifting was enough to give the 200-odd participants and their supporters all the fun they needed.

The go-kart race in the afternoon was part of the many activities held in conjunction with the annual Cyberjaya Motorsport event.

Small wonders: RC Drifting proved to be a hit with the crowd.

The mini-bike race which kick-started the day’s competition saw Ahmad Faizal Mohd Akhir emerge champion, taking home RM700 in prizes with Shamsyrizal Sumni taking second spot and Muhammad Eaki Hasbullah in third place, while Mohd Hazrul Hasbullah dominated the RC drifting, collecting RM900 for his efforts.

Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel, Malaysia’s prince of drift who is also head of Proton Motorsports, was the celebrity judge for the drifting competition which saw heavily-modified makes including a Nissan Skyline GTR34, Mazda RX-7 FC3S, Toyota KE17, Nissan S15, and Cefiro A31 competing in tandem face-offs on the 450m track.

The action, which started in the late evening, continued into the night and at midnight Mohd Kairul Anuar emerged the clear winner, followed by Mohd Nazam Shah Sulaiman and Mohd Aslin.

Kumeres Mikmathiyalagan set the pace at the go-kart circuit by clocking the fastest time followed closely by Dominic Benizi in second place and Timothy Hardie Kehit in third place.

Cyberview Sdn Bhd (CSB) managing director Hafidz Hashim said this was the second time the event was being held at the Community Clubhouse premises where the track is much longer.

“The go-karting event is held in line with the spirit of F1 and the other events are run simultaneously to give an opportunity for more participants to take part in this annual event,” he said.

Smoking: Female drift legend Azrina Jane Abdullah going full-throttle into a corner at the Cyberjaya Motorsports event.

Other events held included a colouring contest for children below 12 years and a karaoke competition.

Hafidz said the main objective of the event was to portray CSB as an active and innovative community builder by developing various activities and events for the community at large.

“We also want to demonstrate and share the message that the activities planned are not just for the working community but also for their families,” he added.

Although the afternoon heat was unbearable, the drivers in the go-kart competition did not allow that to hamper their enthusiasm.

CSB employees Nurul Diana Intan Zafirah and Maria Tun Abd Kadir also made it to the final round of the competition.

Hafidz gave away the prizes to the winners in the mini bike and go-kart competitions.

Hafidz said not many people knew that Cyberjaya played host to the Malaysian Minibike Championship in 2008 and 2009, the Malaysian Drifting Competition in November 2008 as well as various go-karting activities.

He said because of CSB’s active promotions, Cyberjaya was now sanctioned as the official circuit for the Malaysian Minibike Championship.

With Cyberjaya making headway in these events, Hafidz said the city could be turned into an exciting hub for motorsports and was in a position to host international rally events like the World Rally Championship and the Asia Pacific Rally Championship in the future.

Special sports event organised for youngsters in Kajang prison

From The Star, Mon 29 Mar 2010

JUVENILE inmates from the Kajang Prison were given a rare opportunity during the inaugural sports event held at the prison grounds recently.
Some 300 inmates aged between 14 and 18 took part in the one-day event.
The inmates, who were divided into five groups, took part in several sporting events including athletics, football and tug-of-war.

Great time: Alzafry (left) and Suvaminathan (wearing tie) helping to start the tug-ofwar.

The event was launched by Selangor Visiting Prison Board chairman Judge Datuk Seri V. S. Suvaminathan, who also donated a challenge trophy called the Piala Datuk Suvaminathan.
Prison director Alzafry Mohamed Al Nassir Mohamed Adnan and deputy director Asst Comm G. Gunasegaran were also present at the event.
Suvaminathan said the event would be held annually.
He said there was a possibility for other prisons in the country to introduce such activities for juvenile detainees.
“We have to organise this sort of activity to give the young detainees confidence that there is meaning in life.
“They must be made to understand that there is future for them once they are released,” he said.
Suvaminathan said the inmates showed a great deal of sportsmanship throughout the event.
Besides the challenge trophy, individual winners were also presented with snack hampers.