Voon Shiak Ni
KUCHING (Feb 3): Sarawakian social activist Voon Shiak Ni encourages the setting up of neighbourhood watch groups as a way to combat drug-pushing activities plaguing housing areas here.
Moreover, she said residents should make use of the platform to become the eyes for the community as well as the police.
She acknowledged that the situation where the drug-pushers lurking around the neighbourhoods, especially at night, is a grave concern of the public.
“We are aware that drug syndicates are making use of residential estates as drop-off and pick-up points by drug-pushers at locations identified by the parties involved and their modus operandi of such nature has been taking place at residential estates in and around Kuching all this while .
“I am hopeful that the mastermind of these illegal activities and drug dealers can be tracked down as soon as possible for a safer neighbourhood,” she said in a statement, issued in response to an alert blasted by the Laman Bong Chin neighbourhood watch group in Rock Road here, of people lurking around there recently.
Voon, being in the said neighbourhood watch group, said she had observed incidents of suspicious people lurking around the residential area on motorbikes and cars that had been happening more frequently.
“These guys were seen searching for something by the drains in front of people’s houses, or areas around road signs at the residential estates. Neighbours had approached some of these guys and we are worried about the safety of the neighbourhood.
“I would like to thank ASP Syed Zainal for the swift action taken in contacting the patrol team following the alerts posted by the neighbourhood watch group of Laman Bong Chin last night (Feb 2) of suspicious looking cars and people lurking around the residential estate,” she added.
She also commended the good efforts by Sarawak police, especially the Narcotics Department, in seizing drugs worth more than RM600,000 during an operation a month ago.