KUCHING, Jan 11: Groups of youth who ‘lepak’ (loiter) at Kuching International Airport and speed on motorcycles are a worrying trend which needs to be looked into.
Urging the police to look into this ‘lepak culture’, PKR women national vice-president Voon Shiak Ni said that youth loitering along the road stretch leading to the arrival hall was also an unpleasant image.
“Even though we do not really know what they are doing there, whether they are racing (motorcycles) or not, we worry it will grow into a bigger issue later on.”
Voon said passengers who were taking late night flights expressed their anxiety and fear at the sight of the groups of people loitering there.
“They (passengers) need to walk to their cars and they feel insecure when they see these groups of people.”
Voon also pointed out that some of the youth loitering near the airport were seen speeding on the road with their motorcycles.
“The speeding of bikes cannot be allowed or condoned on public roads, and this is at the compound of our airport,” she added.
Voon also cautioned that this ‘lepak culture’ which had been going on for some time might mushroom into bigger social issues if not monitored or brought under control.
Another problem caused by the loitering youths is trash and empty cans left behind.
Voon opined that the image of Kuching International Airport is very important as it offers the first impression of the country for visiting tourists.
She hence urged the police and authority to investigate the matter and keep the ‘lepak culture’ out of the compound of the Kuching airport to reinforce a positive public image and for public security reasons. — DayakDaily
