Yusof Haslam turns real crimebuster, foils robbery

KUALA LUMPUR: From being a prominent actor and film director of Malaysian police serials “Gerak Khas” and “Roda-Roda Kuala Lumpur”, Datuk Yusof Haslam (pix) turned crimebuster in real life when he thwarted a burglary at his house in Taman Melawati, Ampang, early today.
Yusof, who is in his 60’s and holds a firearm licence, sent three burglars scrambling out of his four-storey house after he fired a warning shot.
Ampang Jaya police chief ACP Khairuldin Saad said today that while the actor’s wife, son and maid were asleep, Yusof was watching TV on an upper floor after returning home minutes earlier.
He said at about 2.30am, Yusof heard his maid scream from the ground floor and he rushed to his room for his pistol. As Yusof ran downstairs, he fired a warning shot.
Together with his son, Syamsul, who was awakened by the commotion, they looked for the burglars but they had fled.
Khairuldin said Yusof stepped out of his house before firing two more shots towards a nearby jungle where he believed the burglars may have fled into. Upon checking his house, the movie director found the burglars had gained entry after breaking his main door lock.
Rooms on the ground and fourth floor were ransacked and a watch and a RM10,000 gold ring were missing. A security guard who was on duty at the house and is a relative of Yusof was oblivious to the break-in and only realised what had occurred after being informed by him.
Investigators who recorded a statement from Yusof’s maid learnt that all three burglars, believed to be locals, were small-sized and were in black clothes.