KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 1,656 policemen from the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent will be assigned to ensure public order and safety at four celebration hotspots on the eve of National Day (Ambang Merdeka) this Friday.

The four hotspots are the Merdeka Square, Bukit Bintang, Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) and the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) areas.

City Police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said of the total, 116 traffic policemen would also be assigned to ensure smooth traffic flow in the city and to carry out anti-illegal street racing operations.

“Our objective is to ensure that everyone who comes to these locations to celebrate Ambang Merdeka will be able to join in the celebration happily and safely without any untoward incident.”

He said this when featured in Bernama TV’s Apa Khabar Malaysia programme today.

Meanwhile, Rusdi also advised road users to obey traffic laws, including in parking their vehicles in permitted areas, when attending the National Day celebration at Putrajaya Square in Putrajaya this Saturday.

Better still, he said members of the public are highly encouraged to use public transport services provided by the organisers, including six water taxis and three cruise boats, as well as 80 shuttle buses, which will operate from 4 am to 2 pm on Aug 31 to facilitate the movement of the public to the celebration venue thus reducing traffic congestion.

“Road users are reminded not to park their vehicles at their whims and fancy because this will turn the two-lane road into one lane and cause traffic congestion.

“Traffic summonses may be issued in the most extreme circumstances, such as for drivers who clearly blocked the traffic. If necessary, we may prepare a tow truck to tow their vehicles,” he added.