MCA disappointed with Kapitan for withdrawing police report

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PENAMPANG: MCA Penampang division was disappointed with the Kapitan Cina for withdrawing the police report lodged against the ‘Datuk’ who allegedly assaulted and threatened him with a firearm in Lido last Saturday.

Its chief Datuk Paul Kong said the party also regretted talk that the Kapitan withdrew the report after being ‘well compensated’ by the ‘Datuk’.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday night, Kong said that he had asked the Kapitan to come and clear the air at the meeting with MCA divisional members but the latter did not do so.

“I spoke to him yesterday to find out what actually happened on that day and what happened subsequently after he had lodged the police report.

“There are a lot of rumours as to what transpired after he lodged the police report. Among the rumours is that he withdrew the report after being ‘well compensated’ for the injuries he suffered,” Kong said.

He added that the Kapitan initially agreed to be present at the meeting but later changed his mind for reasons only known to himself.

Kong, however, added that MCA Penampang was happy with the State Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib’s assurance that due to the severity of the case, investigations would still be carried out under a few acts.

Hamza was reported as saying that the case would be forwarded to Senior Federal Council (SFC) for further action upon completion of the investigation even though the Kapitan had withdrawn his report against the ‘Datuk’.

“Everyone should abide by the law, regardless whether he or she was a Datuk or not,” he said, adding that it would be up to the SFC to charge the suspect.

He said the police would investigate the case and forward the result to SFC for further action.

Hamza added that the pistol owned by the ‘Datuk’ had been seized by the police.

He reminded firearm owners that they could not act arbitrarily as there were specific guidelines to owning a firearm.

“The police are also supplied with firearms, but there are standard operating procedure (SOP) and guidelines when we can act (using firearms), as when the life of a police officer or public is threatened.”

Meanwhile, Kong expressed hope that the police will come down hard on people who abuse the privilege.

“When people like them were given the privilege to carry firearm, they must be very careful with it. It is also my hope that police will also make sure that people who are carrying firearms are not those who are heavy drinkers as sometime people become a different person when they are intoxicated.

“We will follow up with the investigations but we will not do anything to jeopardize police investigations,” he said.