Gov't to set up night court to speed up street crime trials

The government will set up a night court to speed up proceedings in backlogged court cases, especially street crimes.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the night court proceedings had in fact started with the cooperation of the police, the Attorney-General as the prosecutor, and presided by a judge.

    

Hishammuddin said he would meet Chief Justice Zaki Azmi to discuss the matter further.

    

"We do not want a snatch thief, who is caught today, could not be produced in court as a prosecutor is indisposed while the court has no time to hear the case.

"Eventually, the case is brought before the court two years later and by then maybe the snatch thief, who is on bail, could have committed three or four more crimes," he told reporters here today.

    

Hishammuddin said the operation of the night court would be determined by the chief justice.

Rela members to aid cops

In another development, he said 1,042 Vigilante Corp (Rela) members would be deployed to assist the police in patrolling high-crime places, namely Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang and Johor starting Monday.

He said the presence of more policemen and Rela members on the streets would make the people feel safer and help reduce street crimes.

Fifty mobile police units will also be stationed at strategic places in stages from February to June, he added.

Hishammuddin said about 900,000 Rela members nationwide would also be mobilised to monitor immigrants and update their data.

He said the ministry might enlist the services of Rela members to deliver uncollected Mykad, now numbering about 400,000, especially to those in the interior.

- Bernama