Latest news with #BazarKarat
The Star
19-06-2025
- The Star
More cops on patrol to assure visitors' safety in Johor
JOHOR BARU: Seven public places around the city will have additional police presence in a move to bolster safety and security, especially for Visit Johor 2026, says Comm Datuk M. Kumar ( pic ). The Johor police chief said that the police wanted to assure all visitors and investors that Johor is a safe place to visit. 'Our omnipresence is focused on areas frequented by the public,' he said after attending the Johor police monthly assembly yesterday. The areas are the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (BSI) complex, Bazar Karat, KSL City Mall, Angsana Mall, Berjaya Waterfront, Midvalley Southkey and Plaza Sentosa. He said the initiative, which started on June 14, would involve some 80 policemen who would patrol the areas and meet with owners of premises in the area. 'This will be above and beyond our regular patrols,' he added. Comm Kumar said that so far there have been no reported crime in these seven places since the initiative started. He added that the police hoped to rope in personnel from the Federal Reserve Unit and marine, and expand the omnipresence initiative to all 10 districts. Comm Kumar also urged the public not to be quick in believing information that they get from unverified sources. 'People need to be careful. Always verify before you transfer money even to your friends who suddenly message you asking for a loan. 'Always verify news or messages that you received,' he added. Asked about the recent fake TikTok video of him making statements about aid channelled from an individual known as Datuk Malik, he said investigations were still ongoing. The video had been altered using AI to make it appear as though Comm Kumar made the statements, but he has categorically denied releasing any such comment.
New Straits Times
18-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Johor brings back foot patrols to boost tourist safety
JOHOR BARU: Police have reinstated 'omnipresence' patrols at seven key locations in the city centre ahead of the Visit Johor Year 2026 campaign. Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said the initiative, which resumed on June 14, involved 80 personnel conducting high-visibility foot patrols, engaging with business operators and visitors in popular tourist areas during peak hours. "These assignments cover public hotspots and are aimed at bolstering public confidence in the state's safety," he said at a press conference at the state police headquarters today. Kumar said the patrols were designed to project a safe and welcoming image for tourists, investors, and traders. Officers will patrol on foot, visit business premises and engage directly with members of the public. Motorcycle patrol units and mobile patrol vehicles will continue their usual rounds. Kumar said public response since the relaunch had been encouraging, particularly from business owners, with peak-hour deployments timed to coincide with high footfall during office hours, lunch breaks and weekends. "For instance, Bazar Karat (Johor Baru flea market) operates in the evenings until late at night, and that's when our presence is most noticeable. So far, no crime reports have been lodged in the areas under the omnipresence initiative," he said. Separately, Kumar said that police were investigating a case involving the misuse of his identity through artificial intelligence (AI) technology. "We are working with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to trace the source. No suspects have been identified as yet," he said. The case emerged following the circulation of a doctored video showing a man resembling Kumar allegedly receiving financial aid from an individual named 'Datok Abdul Malik'. The clip was confirmed to be fake and manipulated using AI.
The Star
18-06-2025
- The Star
Johor police to increase presence at seven key areas for Visit Johor 2026
JOHOR BARU: Seven public places around the city will have additional police presence to bolster safety and security, especially for Visit Johor 2026, says Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar. He stated that the police aim to assure all visitors and investors that Johor is a safe place to visit. "This omnipresence of police personnel is targeted in areas frequently visited by the public," he said after attending the state-level monthly police assembly here on Wednesday (June 18). Among the areas included are the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (BSI) complex, Bazar Karat, KSL City Mall, Angsana Mall, Berjaya Waterfront, Midvalley Southkey, and Plaza Sentosa. He added that the initiative, which started on June 14, involves about 80 policemen who patrol the areas and meet with premises owners. "This will be above and beyond our patrols conducted by our mobile patrol and motorcycle units," he said, urging the public to reach out to these policemen on foot patrol if they need assistance. Comm Kumar said that so far, there have been no reported crime cases in all these seven places since the initiative started. He added that they hope to involve personnel from the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and marine units and expand this omnipresence initiative to all 10 districts. Meanwhile, Comm Kumar urged the public not to quickly believe information from social media or unverified sources. He noted that people these days are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for scamming. "People need to be careful. Always verify before you transfer money, even to your friends who suddenly message you asking for money. "Their mobile phones could have been hacked, and with their contact details, scammers could be impersonating and asking for money," he said, adding that people should always seek direct verification from the person before making any transfers. Asked about the recent fake TikTok video of him making statements about aid channelled from an individual known as Datuk Malik, allegedly created using AI, he said investigations are ongoing. He stressed that the video circulating was manipulated and false. The video has been altered using AI to make it appear as though Comm Kumar made the statements, but he categorically denied releasing any such comments. Meanwhile, in his speech, Comm Kumar said that for the first five months of this year, the criminal investigations department achieved a 59.64% solving rate of index crimes, while the narcotics crime investigation department arrested about 10,794 people and seized RM83.18mil worth of drugs. They also forfeited some RM7.49mil worth of valuables. "During the same time, they busted 21 drug syndicates and seized some RM81.07mil worth of drugs," he added. During the event, he also gave commendation letters to policemen and members of the media, including Star Media Group's Johor Bureau Chief Nelson Benjamin.
