PDRM Explains That Police May Have Gone To The Wrong House In Viral 999 Incident

On 5 August, Facebook user Thivyah Veelurajan shared that her home was broken into by a group of robbers who brutally attacked her family at New Green Park, Rawang.

Her father was slashed three times with a parang and her grandmother was dragged across the floor and left with fractured bones.

Thivyah explained that she had called 999 several times during the incident but that the cops had shown up late.

New Straits Times quoted Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Huzir Mohamed as saying that, "There could be a mistake of the MPV going to the wrong location. What I mean by this is they were at the same neighbourhood, same road as the victim's but at the wrong numbered house."

In the viral post, the victim had claimed that cops only arrived at the scene at 3.30am, despite her making emergency calls at 2.37am.

She was on the phone with them as the robbers managed to break in and attack her family. 

On top of that, Thivyah said that she was allegedly told to contact district police's bilik gerakan (operations room) instead of 999.

"They stopped at the wrong house which was on the left at the end of the road, while the victim's house was located on the opposite end," Comm Datuk Huzir Mohamed explained, according to News Straits Times.

"When they arrived at the (wrong) house, they mistook it for the right one as its gate was opened and lights were switched on. They believed they were responding to a house break-in."

"They only realised it was not the right house when the robbers, who fled in the victim's car, drove past the MPV," he said, adding that the distance between the wrong house and the victim's house was only between 400m and 500m.

He explained that it was in an area where some houses are numbered, while others are not.

In the meantime, the case is being investigated and the respective cops will be taken to JIPS to explain themselves.

"At the moment, they are still allowed to go on their MPV duties. There is no criminal offence in this so it is not necessary to suspend them from their duties," the Federal CID director said.

However, he added that "stern action will be taken if it is discovered that the police unit was late in responding to the emergency," The Star reported.

999 will direct the call to the respective department, depending on the type of emergency.

"However, it is also good if members of the public keep the numbers for the nearest bilik gerakan of their respective area or district as well," he added, as reported by The Star.