KUANTAN Feb 8 — Police have arrested three men suspected of being involved in rioting and hurling abusive language towards police officers, and assaulting members of the public at the accident location at KM127 of the Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan road near Temerloh.

Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the three suspects detained yesterday are aged between 37 and 47 and are believed to be family members of the accident victim, with some of them having past records involving fights and riots.

"The police are currently tracking down two more suspects to assist in the investigation,” he said at a press conference after the Kick-Off Programme for Crime Prevention and Drug Suppression 2024 in Pahang at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Sagu here today.

Commenting further, he said the driver of a Perodua Myvi car, a 75-year-old man involved in the accident, was also detained and questioned before being released on police bail.

Yesterday, Bernama reported that the police had identified a group of men involved in the incident following an accident that resulted in the death of a 20-year-old male at the scene.

The victim, who worked at a scrap metal shop, was confirmed dead due to severe injuries to the head and right leg after his motorcycle reportedly collided with the side of the Perodua Myvi car that was said to be making a U-turn on double lines.

In the incident, a group of men is believed to have pushed and hurled abusive words at a police sergeant deployed to the scene, while one man claimed to have been beaten by five individuals for recording the incident involving the police officer.

On a separate note, Yahaya aims to remove the stigma of drug abuse in Felda areas in Pahang within five years saying police conduct frequent awareness programmes, especially for youth, as drug abuse starts as early as age 15.

They want to shift Felda’s image from one associated with addiction to a drug-free community. Despite primarily affecting locals, outsiders also contribute to drug-related issues. Last year, Felda areas accounted for 236 arrests, constituting 41 per cent of all arrests under Special Prevention Measures. — Bernama