Security to be tightened for future football matches
KUCHING: The police will attempt to prevent hooliganism and rioting through stricter security checks and deploying ‘spies’ at Sarawak Stadium for future football matches.
District police chief ACP Roslan Bek Ahmad said the rioting at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Kuala Terengganu on May 16 led to tightening of security at all entrances to prevent illegal or dangerous objects from being smuggled into the stadium.
“We will be checking for explosive objects as well as weapons. Under the Explosives Act 1957, those found guilty are liable to be jailed for seven years or slapped with a RM10,000 fine or both.
“If you are in the company of someone found in possession of such items, you can be detained for being an accomplice,” Roslan said at a press conference yesterday after a monthly parade was held at district police headquarters here.
He urged those with knowledge of any plan to smuggle illegal objects into the stadium to report to the police.
Additionally, the district police chief revealed that ‘spies’ would be planted among spectators to report the presence of troublemakers.
“Going to the stadium to watch a football match is supposed to be enjoyable, but has become dangerous due to incidents such as the one in Kuala Terengganu.
“Lest we forget that such an incident had also occurred here last year, and it is something that no one wants to see happen again,” said, adding that the threat of hooliganism and rioting caused police to allocate more personnel to the stadium on match days.
On another matter, Roslan said the crime rate in the district declined by 19.30 per cent for the first four months of this year.
He said the hard work of police and cooperation of the community, particularly neighbourhood watch groups, had resulted in 143 fewer crime cases compared to the same period last year.
At the monthly parade earlier, Roslan presented commendation certificates to 42 recipients comprising police personnel, civillian staff, state Civil Defence Department personnel and members of neighbourhood watch groups in the district for helping to combat crime.
Among those present at yesterday’s parade are district CID chief DSP Lim Bak Phai and district Public Order and Traffic chief DSP Amihizam Abdul Shukor.