160 students involved in crime in Sabah last year

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Idris (seventh right), Muddin (sixth right), Jauteh (eighth right), Suparamaniam (ninth right) and other police officers posing with students and teachers of SMK Petagas Penampang.

KOTA KINABALU (March 22): One hundred and sixty students were detained by police for involving in crimes in 2022. Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Idris Harun Idris said 20 of them were female.

“Fifty-five students, inluding seven females, were detained under Section 147 and Section 148 of the Penal Code for rioting and in possession of weapons at a riot.

“Twenty-one students (18 males and three females) were also detained for voluntarily causing hurt under Section 323 of the Penal Code; 14 male students and five female students were arrested for theft cases, while 20 male students were held for involvement in rape cases.

“From the 2022 police statistics, nine students were released unconditionally after investigations were completed, 149 were freed under police bail and two were charged in court.

“This is a very large figure and worrying to the authorities because students are the future generation that will shape our country,” he said at the Back-To-School program at SMK Petagas Penampang on Wednesday.

Also present were Sabah Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun, Student Development Deputy Director Muddin Beting, SMK Petagas principal Suhaibul Kassim and Sabah Police Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department head SAC Suparamaniam AL Ramasamy.

Meanwhile, Idris said the liaison police officers that were appointed for each school had to create a safe and secure atmosphere by giving lecture or dialogue sessions relating to safety matters to students.

“The liaison police officers must work closely with the parents and teachers associations as well as to give advice to the schools regarding measures that should be taken in the event of any crime incident involving students.

“In addition, the liaison police officers are also responsible for providing exposure and awareness about the law to teachers, students and parents,” he said.

On cyber crimes such as love scam, blackmail, Macau Scam, e-finance fraud and others, Idris said the liaison police officers should also provide exposure and awareness to the community including students so they will not fall victims to such crime.

“We also need to prevent the spread of ideology and heresay teaching, radicalism, extremism and terrorism in schools.

“Our responsibility is to ensure students will not be manipulated by certain groups,” said Idris, adding that such responsibility must not only fall in the hands of the police but parents must also take the initiative to look after and monitor their children’s whereabouts and daily activities.