TERENGGANU police denied claims that the ‘Op Khas Motosikal’ conducted on Friday and yesterday (September 8 and 9) had elements of sabotage against the RXZ Members 5.0 annual gathering, held in Kuala Nerus.

State police chief Mazli Mazlan said the operation was carried out in coordination with the Road Transport Department (RTD) after receiving various complaints from the public on the actions of a few motorcyclists, who not only rode recklessly but also disturbed public order.

He stressed that the operation was a routine task carried out by the police to ensure the safety of the public, and there were no political agendas, as claimed by some parties.

“After receiving complaints, police found that there are violations of the law among RXZ Members 5.0 participants, who rode recklessly to the point of endangering other road users, including on highways and state roads.

Mazli said police always support any programme or activity which has a positive impact on the population, as long as it does not violate existing laws.

“There is no issue with the organisers as they have applied for a permit from the police. It’s just a few motorcyclists who took advantage of the programme to misbehave,” he said.

Netizens have been expressing dissatisfaction on social media after a few participants were arrested by police and the RTD, and their motorcycles impounded. 

Some of the posts attributed the authorities actions as orders from ‘higher up’ since the event was held in an opposition state.

Mazli said a total of 185 motorcycles were impounded and 292 summonses were issued during the two days of operations, conducted around the Kuala Nerus and Kuala Terengganu districts.

“During the two-day operation, a total of 73 accident cases were also reported, with four of them being fatal accidents involving the motorcycle group’s participants,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a separate press conference, Terengganu RTD director Zulkarnain Yasin said 134 offences were recorded, and of the 40,000 participants, only 1.34% were arrested for breaking the law.

“All actions were taken to protect the safety of other road users and the public,” he said. – Bernama, September 10, 2023.