Security shocker at Sukma games village

Security has been lax at the sports village in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) where a Sukma games participant was allegedly raped recently, according to another participant and a coach.

A female athlete who was staying at one of the college dormitories noted that not only was the guard house quite far from her block, but no guards were even stationed there.

“It was relatively easy for the public to enter the premises. While I was there, I did not see any security guards making their rounds during the day or night,” the athlete, who did not want to be named, was quoted as saying in a report by The Star.

“But it was the same in the 2011 games, so none of us thought too much about it,” she said.

Concurring with her that there were few security personnel around, a silambam coach, who also declined to be named, said the only security check was at the front gate.

However, National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong claimed that steps have been taken to tighten security during Sukma, with UPM also providing their security personnel.

He said this at a press conference at Dewan Komanwel, NSC, in Bukit Jalil yesterday in response to the claim by a 19-year-old handball athlete that she was repeatedly raped by a group of male athletes while in a half-conscious state in a hostel room at the university.

The police have detained three athletes following a police report lodged by the victim at the Serdang police headquarters.