Cops: Don’t waste time trying to sneak out of Selangor

HULU SELANGOR: Motorists are advised not to waste time trying to sneak out of Selangor to balik kampung, says state deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Arjunaidi Mohamed.

“Every motorist leaving the state will be checked and those with no authorisation will be detained and issued with a compound before being turned back,” he said.

Police have set up roadblocks at all land exits out of Selangor, including highways, state roads and other smaller routes, to prevent interstate travel during this Hari Raya period.

A check by The Star revealed that thousands of motorists in Selangor were caught in a bumper-tobumper crawl as their vehicles were stopped and checked at the police roadblocks.

“We are serious about no interstate travel,” warned DCP Arjunaidi who inspected the roadblock near the North-South Expressway’s Tanjung Malim exit yesterday.

Hulu Selangor OCPD Supt Arsad Kamaruddin and Selangor Traffic

Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Supt Azman Shariat accompanied DCP Arjunaidi.

The number of vehicles turned back at the roadblocks has gradually dropped because motorists have come to the realisation that they will not be able to pass through without interstate travel approval.

“As of Wednesday, the ratio of vehicles we turned back at the state roadblocks is one out of five vehicles,” he said.

DCP Arjunaidi said 50 motorists were told to make a U-turn at the Tanjung Malim roadblock between 9am and 3pm yesterday.

Aside from Tanjung Malim, police have also mounted roadblocks at Bandar Bukit Mahkota, Gombak toll plaza and Lekas Highway.

“Even if motorists managed to sneak past the Selangor roadblocks, it does not mean they will have the same luck at roadblocks in other states.

“Therefore, don’t waste your time on interstate travel if you don’t have permission to do so,” said DCP Arjunaidi.

Meanwhile, a PLUS spokesperson said traffic started to build up on major highways in the morning and slow-moving traffic was reported at several stretches.

“We found traffic was slow at the NKVE toll plaza as well as the road before entering the Bukit Raja toll booth and near the Lembah Beringin stretch, heading towards Tanjong Malim.

“There was also a 1km crawl from KLIA towards Bandar Serenia,” said the spokesperson yesterday.

PLUS Operations Excellence head Mohd Yusuf Abdul Aziz explained that the congestion occurred because of the police roadblocks.