PASIR MAS: As the monsoon floods hit the state, emergency services and authorities have allegedly begun receiving crank calls that are burdening their resources.
For example, the Kelantan police yesterday said they received 107 fake calls about non-existent flood emergencies in one district alone, believed to be made by local pranksters.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the calls were received by the Pasir Mas district police headquarters.
Following this, he had directed the district police chief to screen all coming calls before taking action.
"I am really upset as during this critical condition, some people want to make light of this yearly disaster.
"They call the police, asking for rescue and other assistance. When police went to the flooded areas, no one was there and in some of the cases, there was no emergency.
"Yesterday alone, Pasir Mas police received 107 calls and all were fake. I want to remind the people here that we will take action. Do not play with this.
"Police and other teams are busy with rescue work. Do not take this lightly," he told reporters when visiting the Repek police station here today.
Yusoff said the policemen in Pasir Mas police station were told to forward emergency calls to other rescue teams once it had been determined that they were genuine.
He believed the pranksters were trying to have fun without realising that their act could put others in danger.