Prevention of entry, not raids, is the real solution
I REFER to the reports '45 foreign workers nabbed in raids on Arab eateries' (Sunday Star, April 20) and 'Ceiling hide-out fails in immigration raid, 506 foreigners detained' (The Star, April 19).
Reports about immigration raids on foreign workers without valid documents are quite regular these days, reflecting the scale of the issue.
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New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Report: Amsterdam police 'overwhelmed' by 'hit-and-run' attacks on Israeli football fans
THE HAGUE: Amsterdam police trying to contain attacks on fans of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv in November were overwhelmed by assailants' hit-and-run tactics and rapid incitement via social media, according to a report published on Monday. The violence in the early hours of Nov 8, 2024, followed two days of skirmishes that saw Maccabi fans chant anti-Arab songs, vandalise a taxi and burn a Palestinian flag. The attacks left five people briefly hospitalised. Police acted with "great commitment, flexibility and professionalism", concluded the report by an oversight body in the justice ministry. Authorities were able to deploy 1,200 officers, drones, arrest squads, horses and water cannons but were still caught off-guard by the fast-moving events. "Although the police acted decisively, they were also overtaken at times by the speed and unpredictability of developments," the report noted. "Blitz attacks by small groups of rioters, using taxis and scooters to move around quickly and target Jewish people on the streets, made different demands on the approach taken by the police." Social media was another key factor in making the violence difficult to contain, the report said. "People were able to spread messages and images at lightning speed, thereby heightening existing tensions," it noted. "Relatively minor incidents, such as the removal of a Palestinian flag by Maccabi supporters, were shared, interpreted, and magnified within minutes." The report also criticised reactions in the immediate aftermath of the violence. Israeli President Isaac Herzog talked of an "anti-Semitic pogrom" while Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema drew parallels between the violence and "memories of pogroms." She later regretted this, saying the word had been used as propaganda. "What stands out is the speed with which everyone expressed an opinion in the aftermath of the events," said the report. "Politicians, administrators and the media immediately jumped to conclusions, without having any insight into exactly what had occurred." A separate report, from the Institute for Safety and Crisis Management, criticised the lack of official information during the night of violence. There was an information black-out from around 1.40 in the morning until 9am, meaning rumours and disinformation were rife, said the report. In December, a court convicted five men for a range of crimes from kicking Maccabi fans in the street to inciting violence in chat groups. The heaviest sentence imposed was six months in prison, to a man identified as Sefa O. for public violence against several people. Public broadcaster NOS reported on Sunday that multiple charges against Maccabi fans had been dropped after police were unable to access video footage. Two women reported separate incidents in the Amsterdam metro but CCTV footage was deleted earlier than usual and was therefore not available to police. A press officer for the public prosecutors' office confirmed the accuracy of the NOS report to AFP.--AFP
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Amsterdam police 'overtaken' by speed of attacks on Israel fans: Report
THE HAGUE: Amsterdam police trying to contain attacks on fans of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv in November were overwhelmed by assailants' hit-and-run tactics and rapid incitement via social media, according to a report published on Monday. The violence in the early hours of Nov 8, 2024, followed two days of skirmishes that saw Maccabi fans chant anti-Arab songs, vandalise a taxi and burn a Palestinian flag. The attacks left five people briefly hospitalised. Police acted with "great commitment, flexibility and professionalism", concluded the report by an oversight body in the justice ministry. Authorities were able to deploy 1,200 officers, drones, arrest squads, horses and water cannons but were still caught off-guard by the fast-moving events. "Although the police acted decisively, they were also overtaken at times by the speed and unpredictability of developments," the report noted. "Blitz attacks by small groups of rioters, using taxis and scooters to move around quickly and target Jewish people on the streets, made different demands on the approach taken by the police." Social media was another key factor in making the violence difficult to contain, the report said. "People were able to spread messages and images at lightning speed, thereby heightening existing tensions," it noted. "Relatively minor incidents, such as the removal of a Palestinian flag by Maccabi supporters, were shared, interpreted, and magnified within minutes." The report also criticised reactions in the immediate aftermath of the violence. Israeli President Isaac Herzog talked of an "anti-Semitic pogrom" while Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema drew parallels between the violence and "memories of pogroms." She later regretted this, saying the word had been used as propaganda. "What stands out is the speed with which everyone expressed an opinion in the aftermath of the events," said the report. "Politicians, administrators and the media immediately jumped to conclusions, without having any insight into exactly what had occurred." A separate report, from the Institute for Safety and Crisis Management, criticised the lack of official information during the night of violence. There was an information black-out from around 1.40 in the morning until 9am, meaning rumours and disinformation were rife, said the report. In December, a court convicted five men for a range of crimes from kicking Maccabi fans in the street to inciting violence in chat groups. The heaviest sentence imposed was six months in prison, to a man identified as Sefa O. for public violence against several people. Public broadcaster NOS reported on Sunday that multiple charges against Maccabi fans had been dropped after police were unable to access video footage. Two women reported separate incidents in the Amsterdam metro but CCTV footage was deleted earlier than usual and was therefore not available to police.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Bring these perverts to book
Disturbing discovery: The Budak2 Sekolah Rendah group on Facebook, which features photos of schoolchildren, is said to have over 12,000 followers. — 123rf IT'S a wake-up call for all of us. Not just parents, teachers and students but every one of us – we need to be vigilant to confront online sex predators, including paedophiles. The recent expose by social media influencer Wee Yun Nee of a Facebook group that uses photographs of schoolchildren is most commendable. Billed as RM9.73 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters. RM12.33/month RM8.63/month Billed as RM103.60 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters. Free Trial For new subscribers only Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates! Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang, and has served The Star for over 35 years in various capacities and roles. He is now group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer. On The Beat made its debut on Feb 23 1997 and Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for the occasional press holiday when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star.
