SHAH ALAM: Only 0.01 per cent of Selangor residents filled up the 'balik kampung' forms which enable the police to monitor their homes when they are away for the Hari Raya Aidifitri celebrations.
The numbers are extremely low compared to the state’s population of over 5 million.
However, Selangor deputy police chief Datuk Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said it is never too late to register.
He said residents who are planning to 'balik kampung' can still do so at the police station nearest to them, via the 999 hotline or by downloading the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) application.
"So far, we have only received 3,221 'balik kampung' forms. We hope more will register with the platforms that are available to them. We want to avert house break-ins during this festive season.
"I would like to encourage the public to do so via the VSP application for smart phones which can be downloaded for free," he said today.
Apart from filling in the balik kampung forms on the VSP application, Ab Rashid said it can also be used to provide information on crime and emergency cases to the police.
Since the launch of the VSP application in March, some 6,000 users have registered and the numbers are expected to grow, said he added.
Ab Rashid was met at the Selangor contingent level Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations held at the compound of the Khalid Al-Walid surau at the state police headquarters,here.
He said some 11,000 state policemen are on duty this Hari Raya. Only 1,600 were allowed to take leave.
Earlier, Ab Rashid performed the Hari Raya Aidilfitri prayers with 400 police officers and personnel at the surau.
Among those present were Shah Alam district police chief Assistant Commissioner Shafien Mamat and Selangor Traffic Investigations and Enforcement deputy chief Deputy Superintendent Sahimi Husin.
Meanwhile, commenting on the notorious robbery and rape suspect who had escaped the Klang Utara district police headquarters, Ab Rashid said a personnel attached to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) is still suspended.
"He is still under suspension until further notice. Investigation’s into how the incident had happened is on-going. The Department of Integrity and Standard Compliance (JIPS) has not given a date on when the suspension will be lifted but it is normally when the investigations are over," said Ab Rashid.
On Mon at about 3pm, the 24-year-old Indonesian suspect escaped police custody via a window at the CID department.
The suspect had tied his prison lock-up pants to the toilet window grille to pry open the bars and escaped.
The police personnel guarding waited for five minutes before discovering the suspect had gone missing.
However, the suspect was rearrested some 17 hours after he broke free at Kampung Baru Hicom, some 40 kilometres from the police headquarters.