Bukit Aman wants two gang-linked groups out of ROS rolls

The Registrar of Societies (ROS) has been urged to cancel the registration of two organisations due to their suspected involvement in secret society activities.

Principal assistant director of the federal police (Bukit Aman) Secret Societies, Vice and Gambling Division (D7), Datuk Abdul Jalil Hassan said the two organisations were Sabah Atap and Otai, which were registered with ROS in 2005 and 2007 respectively.

He told Bernama that police investigations found the two organisations to be frequently involved in fights and extortion.

Abdul Jalil said two other organisations were also using the same names, Otai and Sabah Atap, but they were registered with ROS in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

"We ask that Otai registered in 2007 and Sabah Atap, in 2005, be banned and the two other organisations using the same names to change their names so as to avoid confusion and suspicion among the public."

He said their investigations so far found that these two other organisations using the same names of the two secret societies, were not involved in any secret society activities.

Sabah Atap and Otai were among 49 secret societies in the country that had been gazetted as illegal organisations by the Home Ministry recently.

Abdul Jalil said police had informed ROS on the status of these two organisations and left it to ROS to take further action.

Meanwhile, ROS director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman said following a meeting with Bukit Aman, he was now waiting for the official confirmation from police on the status of the two organisations before he could strike off their registration.

The Home Ministry recently banned the 49 organisations after they were detected to be involved in activities that were detrimental to public order and safety like drug trafficking, murder, extortion and fights.

Police also launched Ops Cantas to curb serious crime and in the nationwide operation since Aug 17, 4,806 people have been arrested and 221 weapons seized including firearms.