Symbolic ceremony: SAC Abu Samah (left) handing over the post to Comm Mohd Shuhaily while Comm Ayob Khan looks on.
KUALA LUMPUR: OCPDs who fail to deal with illegal gambling in their respective districts will now face action, says Comm Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.
The Bukit Aman CID director said there should not be any excuse for the officer in charge of a police district for failing to do so as they had signed the “Aku Janji” pledge to ensure no illegal gambling activity in their respective areas.
“The pledge should not be (treated) like a piece of tissue with no worth.
“So no more warnings will be issued ... we will take action,” he said in his speech after witnessing the handing over of duties ceremony for the Kuala Lumpur police chief’s post yesterday.
Comm Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain took over from Senior Asst Comm Datuk Abu Samah Mohd Noor, who had held the post in an acting capacity.
Comm Ayob Khan said he had received information that there were some OCPDs in Kuala Lumpur who were uneasy with his action in deploying the Bukit Aman CID D7 task force to take action against illegal gambling premises.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Comm Ayob Khan, who became CID director on April 16, said he had instructed all division heads at Bukit Aman and in states, including state CID chiefs, to ensure continuous operations against illegal gambling.
“It does not mean that illegal gambling will end a day after I became the CID director. It will take time but the most important thing is consistency in conducting operations,” he said.
“Coordination between the police, local authorities and Tenaga Nasional Bhd is also crucial in curbing illegal gambling.
“I received complaints that gambling premises are still operating even after a raid.
“We must realise that the process to cancel their licences takes time as most local authorities will wait for a court decision. Tenaga will take immediate action in cutting the power supply to the premises every time we conduct a joint operation,” he said.
Comm Ayob Khan reminded all OCPDs to take the initiative to act against illegal gambling premises, instead of waiting for Bukit Aman to do so.
He also said the Bukit Aman CID had formed a task force to deal with criminal activities, especially illegal gambling.
“Our task force will go to the ground based on information received via our hotline.
“I will not send them to all districts but we will act based on actionable intelligence. I will go to the ground to do spot checks,” he said.
On the Bukit Aman CID hotline (019-376 4763), which was launched last week, Comm Ayob Khan said it had already received some 300 calls, which would be channelled to the proper agencies.
Meanwhile, Comm Ayob Khan expressed confidence in the leadership of Comm Mohd Shuhaily, whose last posting was as the Penang police chief, hailing the latter’s experience, credibility, firmness and integrity.
“Kuala Lumpur is a focal point of economy, tourism and activities involving embassies and consulates.
“The location of the federal police headquarters is another reason Kuala Lumpur is seen as part of Bukit Aman,” he added.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily vowed to do his best to ensure the Kuala Lumpur police achieve success on all fronts.
“Kuala Lumpur has always been under the magnifying glass and its performance reflects that of the rest of the force.
“It is still early days to outline my mission and vision but I aim to work with the rest of the officers and personnel in Kuala Lumpur in achieving success for the KL police contingent,” he said.
