7,000 to manage public safety during SEA Games
KUALA LUMPUR: Some 7,000 public safety officials from various agencies, including the police, will be on the ground throughout the SEA Games, said Comm Datuk Amar Singh.
The city police chief said the officials would be tasked to monitor and control public safety in and around sports venues and accommodation areas throughout the 12-day event, which starts on Aug 19.
“The police force has been through five rounds of training since May to hone their capabilities in time for the Games,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
Comm Amar said public safety would be further safeguarded with the presence of the Special Action Unit (UTK) and VAT 69.
“This is to contain any extremist or terrorist elements. The city police will be working with their Bukit Aman counterparts in the matter,” he added.
Traffic flow around 20 event venues and 12 hotels will be closely controlled by city traffic police, Comm Amar said.
“Athletes and Games officials will also have police escorts to and from the sports venues, and we hope the public will also cooperate,” he added.
He advised the public not to park their vehicles around the 20 venues for both traffic and security reasons.
Comm Amar said road closures and detours were isolated to streets around the KL Sports City in Bukit Jalil, assuring no closures in other locations in the city.
Traffic police personnel will also be stationed at 10 designated lanes around 12 hotels, where athletes and Games officials will be staying.
These designated lanes include Jalan Ampang, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Imbi, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Pinang, MEX Highway, Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway and the Federal Highway.
In Putrajaya, Road Transport Department (JPJ) director-general Datuk Seri Nadzri Siron said the department’s involvement in the SEA Games will not affect its normal operations.
Nadzri said some 1,200 JPJ staff members will be on special duty throughout the competition to manage the transportation of the participants.
“The counter services at all JPJ offices in the country will be operating as normal throughout the competition.
“Our enforcement work will also be carried out as usual.
“There will not be any special Ops during the Games,” Nadzri said at a press conference after launching a training programme for JPJ staff who would be deployed during the competition.