KOTA KINABALU: The ‘shooting spree’ affecting 46 business premises around Kota Kinabalu and Penampang last weekend has jolted the confidence of the people, said former Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee.
He said the people were asking whether there is indeed a bigger threat to Sabah’s security and the people’s safety than what was claimed by the authorities.
Commenting on the incident, Yong said the unconvincing police’s explanation that the shooting spree was the work of ‘budak nakal’ (naughty kids) using air guns that shoot ‘guli’ (marbles) had only made the people more sceptical about the identity and motive of the shooters.
“The sooner the police come up with coherent and clear information, such as the probable motives of the shooters, the easier it would be for the public to comprehend what is happening and easier for people to spot possible troublemakers and report to the police,” he said.
Yong, who is president of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), also pointed out that CCTV images of the attacks showed the alleged shooters as young adults, not teenagers.
“It is safe to conclude that the groups of shooters know their way driving around the city and had planned and executed the shootings in an organised fashion within a couple of hours and then disappeared.
“Is there a lapse in information gathering by the CIDs, Special Branch, RELA, Civil Defence, JKKKs, JKDBs and other components of the local security network?” Yong, who is a former chairman of the Sabah Security Committee, asked.
He lamented over the fact that at the moment, the police are either not forthcoming with information or have no clue as to what is happening right under their noses in the state capital where the police top brass reside.
“It even took the police three days to clarify that the widely-circulated photos of two persons handcuffed sitting on the floor in a police facility as not that of the shooters in KK.
“As though it is not worrying enough that the police have had no fore knowledge of the shooting spree, the police appear to be at a loss even with the benefit of hindsight and after reviewing evidence gathered,” he said.
He added that it was equally worrisome when the deputy Inspector General of Police blamed Sabah’s long coastline for the possible smuggling of air guns used in the shooting, inferring that the weapons were brought in from the Philippines.
“This amounts to a glaring admission that Sabah’s borders are still not sufficiently secured by Esscom. If air guns can be smuggled and used in Kota Kinabalu by organised gangs, then it follows that real guns and bullets can similarly be smuggled into Sabah,” said Yong who hase been critical of the security situation in Sabah.