KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Nov 2008: Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said today that the police beat base along Lorong Haji Taib here was not closed due to security reasons.
It was closed after the building owner decided to take back the land, he said.
“I would like to stress here that the written reply I made in Parliament on Oct 16 on the closure of the beat base was not accurate and clear.
“Actually the landowner wants to construct a new building, so the beat base has to be closed.
“But this area still has the Chow Kit Police Station with a strength of 10 personnel and four patrol cars and conducts 24-hour patrols,” he told reporters after visiting the Chow Kit Police Station and surrounding areas.
On 16 Oct, Syed Hamid said in his written reply to Titiwangsa Member of Parliament Dr Lo’ Lo’ Mohamad Ghazali that the Lorong Haji Taib beat base had to be closed because the police found the location no longer suitable or safe for the police personnel on duty.
The dirty surroundings, possibly exposed to infectious diseases as well as criminal threats endanger the security of personnnel, he had said.
Syed Hamid said the Kuala Lumpur City Hall had agreed to allocate land on which a new beat base would be built and the discussion on the matter was ongoing.
He said the Chow Kit Police Station was able to reduce the crime rate in the surrounding areas and strategically located.
“Surveillances and patrols are conducted constantly from time to time and the public have to cooperate with the police. Chow Kit is not a black area as portrayed,” he said.
On the illegal ownership of firearms, he said the ministry was working together with the neighbouring countries to check arms smuggling. – Bernama
