Visitors enjoying the food of army personnel at the MADANI Rakyat 2024 Sayangi Sabah programme at the Likas Sports Complex on Friday.-Bernama photo
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 18): Motorists can enjoy up to 50% discount on traffic summonses issued nationwide during the MADANI Rakyat 2024 Sayangi Sabah programme.
Kota Kinabalu District Police chief ACP Kasim Muda said those who want to get the discount will have to come personally to the police counters during the three-day programme, which began Friday at the Likas Sports Complex.
“The public can come personally to check and pay their summonses from 9 am to 4 pm. This involves certain (minor traffic) offences.
“Summonses issued nationwide can be paid here, if you have a summons in Kuala Lumpur, you can pay here. Very convenient for the public and let there be no excuses to settle your summonses,” he told Bernama.
A Bernama survey at the PDRM counter found that many people have been queueing to enjoy the 50% discount for summonses.
Thirty-four-year-old Nooryati Jusman, a small trader from Penampang, said she had put off paying her summonses for a long time as she was busy with her business and was reluctant to pay them because she used the money available to cover living costs.
“Not that I didn’t want to pay, but with all the daily expenses, it’s quite difficult to find excess cash (to settle the summonses). This initiative helps ease my burden and I hope it will benefit a lot of people,” said Nooryati, who managed to save about RM300.
Forty-two-year-old Steven Lee Kian Hon, who works in a workshop in Kota Kinabalu, said such programmes should be held more often, especially for lower-level workers who commit minor traffic offences.
“Sometimes, we break the rules not on purpose, but because we are in a hurry to go to work or send our kids to school. I’m not trying to deny my wrongdoing but such discounts are very helpful,” he said.
The 2024 MADANI Rakyat Sayangi Sabah programme is offering visitors various interesting and beneficial activities.
Targeting 400,000 visitors, the programme among others will include 215 ‘People’s Touchpoint Services’, 28 services related to the cost of living and various activities for the youth.
The programme, themed ‘Improving Consumer Wellbeing’, is scheduled to be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at 2.30 pm today.
The Sabah Zone is the sixth and final zone of the MADANI Rakyat Programme this year, following the Central Zone in Selangor, Northern Zone (Penang), Eastern Zone (Pahang), Southern Zone (Johor) and Sarawak Zone.
For the Sabah Zone, the implementation of the programme involved the strategic collaboration of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) as the leading ministry, the Sabah government, and Performance Acceleration and Coordination Unit (PACU) of the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM).
Bringing MADANI Government services to the people of Sabah, various services will be offered to visitors such as the facility to pay fines with discounts of up to 50 per cent, and exchanging old helmets for the first 5,000 visitors.
The Rahmah Sales programme, which offers discounts of up to 30 per cent, alongside the Agro MADANI Sales, safety asset exhibitions, health screenings, a campaign to buy Malaysian-made products, as well as food truck sales will also be held.
Additionally, about 4,000 job opportunities, offered by 14 employers, also await visitors and residents of Sabah.
Meanwhile, the public is urged to give cooperation to ensure smooth traffic flow and safety during the MADANI Rakyat 2024 Sayangi Sabah programme.
ACP Kasim noted that five parking zones have been designated for the event, with Zone A reserved for VIPs, while Zones B, C, D, and E are available for other visitors.
“We have stationed police officers at each parking zone, and visitors will be able to see signs directing them to these areas. Our officers are also there to manage traffic, ensure security, and assist the public,” he told Bernama.
He also advised the public not to park along the roadsides, as it could obstruct other vehicles, lead to tension, and hinder efforts to maintain smooth traffic flow.
“Therefore, arrive early and park in the designated areas,” he added.
To ensure smooth traffic flow, 10 free shuttle buses will be available from Padang Merdeka and the Likas Sports Complex to transport visitors directly to the event.
The shuttle buses will operate from 8 am to 10 pm on Friday day and today, and from 8 am to 6 pm on Sunday. Kasim urged the public to make full use of this public transportation to avoid traffic congestion.
He also advised drivers to be aware of several temporary road closures, including in Teluk Likas and the Customs Housing areas.
He said 219 police officers have been deployed to carry out security operations, such as patrols, safety checks, and aerial surveillance to ensure public safety throughout the event.
“On the day of the event, only drones from the Royal Malaysia Police Air Unit are permitted to fly. We ask the public not to operate drones during the event for the safety of the visitors.
“We also urge attendees to maintain proper etiquette, follow the law, avoid disturbing public order, and refrain from carrying weapons or prohibited beverages. Sabahans are known for their politeness, so let’s not display inappropriate behaviour,” he said.
More information can be obtained at https://malaysiamadani.gov.my/program-madani-rakyat/-Bernama
