April 8, 2025
International
International
MANILA, April 8 — A volcano in central Philippines erupted early this morning, spewing an ash plume 4,000 metres (2.5 miles) into the air and triggering recommendations for school closures in nearby areas.
MELAKA, March 28 — Approximately 221,000 vehicles are expected to enter Melaka through three toll plazas next week in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.
Melaka Police Chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar stated that of this total, 108,000 vehicles are anticipated to pass through the Ayer Keroh Toll Plaza, followed by 83,000 at the Simpang Ampat Toll Plaza and 30,000 at the Lipat Kajang Toll Plaza.
"With the Aidilfitri holidays beginning tomorrow (Friday) and continuing until April 3, we expect a significant increase in vehicle movement through Melaka’s three main entry points.
"As a result, police will enhance monitoring efforts to ensure smooth traffic flow. Road users are also advised to drive cautiously, adhere to traffic rules, and be considerate of others," he said during a press conference at Jalan Mufti Haji Khalil yesterday after launching Op Selamat 24 for Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2025 in Melaka.
Also present at the event was Melaka Deputy Police Chief SAC Ahmad Jefferi Abdullah.
Meanwhile, Dzulkhairi revealed that nearly 500 police officers will be deployed throughout the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays in Melaka for crime prevention, traffic monitoring, and enforcing Op Selamat 24.
"Only about 20 per cent of police personnel are permitted to take leave during Aidilfitri. This restriction is also in place as Melaka has been selected to host the national-level Hari Raya Aidilfitri Madani Celebration 2025, which will take place on April 5," he added.
Among those on duty, 19 senior officers and 140 junior officers from the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) will be stationed at high-traffic congestion areas and accident-prone zones across the state.
During last year’s Op Selamat 22 for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Melaka recorded 406 road accidents, including 385 cases of vehicle damage, 10 cases of minor injuries, seven cases of serious injuries, and four fatalities.
Additionally, Dzulkhairi noted that Melaka police have so far received 174 return-to-hometown notifications from the public through various platforms, including 56 reports via the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) app, five through manual forms at police stations, and 113 via the MERS 999 hotline. — Bernama
