CYBERJAYA: Police have urged universities here to thoroughly brief their new international students on the country’s laws and cultural norms.
Sepang police chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Aziz Ali said that a familiarisation talk should be conducted as early as the students’ orientation week.
"(The briefing) is imperative, because (some) students are unaware of the culture and laws here.
"The universities must take responsibility in educating them on (the regulations and traditional values of Malaysia)," he said here today.
Abdul Aziz revealed that many foreign students who find themselves on the wrong side of the law here and are subsequently arrested confess that they were not aware that they were going against local rules and regulations.
"Some even think it's okay to drink in public places and to be scantily-clad. (These behaviours are) wrong in our culture, but allowed in theirs. Therefore, they should (be educated on) how we do things and live here," he said, adding that he is open to invitations by universities here to give talks on the issue.
Abdul Aziz said that about 5,000 foreign students are currently enrolled at five international universities in Cyberjaya.
He was met during a press conference following a law enforcement operation jointly conducted by the police, the Immigration Department, the Road Transport Department (RTD) and the National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada).
The operation, which was held from 9am to 5pm here today, led to the arrests of five foreigners.
"Four were arrested for not having proper documents and one (for a drug-related offence).
"A total of 128 traffic offence summonses were issued, while 67 RTD summonses were served.
"Out of the 128 summonses, 45 were issued against foreigners – 27 of whom were without driving licenses," he added.
One car and two motorcycles were also confiscated during the operation, he added.
Abdul Aziz said the operation will be carried out from time to time to ensure the security of Cyberjaya residents.
Shaftsbury outrage
Last month, 31-year-old Wan Amirah Wan Alias was killed in a hit-and-run accident at Shaftsbury here – the CCTV camera footage of which shocked the nation.
A 23-year-old Libyan man – who was studying at a private university here – is the main suspect in the crime and is still under police remand; and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
In relation to the case, Abdul Aziz also urged car rental companies to be responsible when lending their vehicles to foreigners.
"They must always check that foreigners… have proper documentation, such as a passport and driving license.
"This would also enable police to track down suspects in case of any wrongdoing," he added.