GEORGE TOWN: About two million vehicles are expected to enter Penang during the six-day Ops Selamat 25, from Feb 15 to 20, in conjunction with Chinese New Year 2026.
State police chief Comm Datuk Azizee Ismail said this year's figures for Ops Selamat exceeded last year's 1.8 million vehicles, following city dwellers returning to their hometowns for the festive holiday and the arrival of Ramadan.
He said that the situation was likely to cause traffic congestion on highways, federal roads, state roads and town roads, particularly during peak hours.
"During the six-day Ops Selamat, 380 officers and personnel from the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) of the Penang contingent will be deployed round-the-clock to ensure safe and smooth traffic movement.
"The operation also involves the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department, which will deploy 350 patrol units, alongside other enforcement agencies, including the Road Transport Department and local authorities, to ensure smooth operations," he said after the Op Selamat 25/2026 Advocacy programme at the Jelutong Public Market here Thursday (Feb 12).
On the implementation of Ops Selamat 25, Azizee said the police would adopt the Pre-Emptive Services and Total Enforcement concept, which emphasises early action and proactive measures to prevent traffic congestion and accidents.
He said that the operation would target accident blackspots and congestion hotspots to ensure smooth traffic flow and road safety, particularly along the North-South Expressway, as well as in districts with the highest number of fatal accidents and areas prone to congestion.
Comm Azizee said a total of 45 hotspots and blackspots had been identified across the state, including Jalan Teluk Air Tawar-Jalan Bagan Luar in Seberang Perai Utara, Jalan Perusahaan Perai-Jalan Kulim in Seberang Perai Tengah, and Jalan Besar Simpang Empat (KM12 to KM32) in Seberang Perai Selatan.
Other locations identified included the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu/Jalan Ayer Itam Expressway, Jalan Ayer Itam-Paya Terubong, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, and Jalan Tun Dr Awang.
Comm Azizee advised all road users to exercise caution and comply with traffic rules to prevent accidents throughout the festive season.
Meanwhile, in KEDAH, some 300,000 vehicles are expected to enter the Kota Setar district during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Kota Setar OCPD Asst Comm Syed Basri Syed Ali said five officers and 43 personnel from the district police headquarters would be deployed throughout Ops Selamat 25/2026.
"During the long holidays, the high volume of vehicles can cause traffic congestion and increase the risk of accidents.
"In 2024, there were 96 accidents, which declined to 87 in 2025, while fatal accidents dropped from four to two cases over the same period," he said at the launch of Ops Selamat at the Alor Setar Utara Toll Plaza in Alor Setar Thursday.
ACP Syed Basri said the police had identified eight hotspots, namely the Jalan Simpang Kuala, Jalan Tanjung Bendahara, Jalan Datuk Kumbar, Derga, Taman Pandan, Kota Sarang Semut, and Kuala Sungai traffic light junctions, as well as the Alor Setar Utara Toll Plaza traffic light junction.
"As for the blackspot areas, they involve three locations, namely KM 8 of Jalan Alor Setar-Kangar (Taman Flora/Taman Sayang Kuala Sungai), Sultanah Bahiyah Highway (the Raden traffic light junction), and Jalan Alor Setar-Kuala Kedah (the Batas Paip traffic light junction)," he said. - Bernama
