Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan
KUCHING: What happened in Miri recently should not have happened in the first place, says Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He strongly condemned the fatal shooting that took the life of PKR Miri secretary Bill Kayong on Tuesday, labelling the killing as ‘having no place in Sarawak’.
“The incident has tainted Sarawak’s pride of being a state that is famous for its peace, harmony and high tolerance among people of different races and religions.
“What happened in Miri (shooting) which took the life of a man should never have happened,” Awang Tengah said after the handover of annual donations by Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) to 59 welfare bodies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) at Wisma Sumber Alam here yesterday.
The minister also said Sarawakians have always upheld the value of helping one another in times of need, as well as safeguarding unity and harmony among people of different races and religions.
“Suddenly, an incident like this happened — as if we were living in a ‘mafia’ society,” said Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Trade and Investment.
On the donation totalling RM266,000 this year, the minister said the programme was among STIDC’s annual programmes to assist welfare bodies and NGOs across the state in running their activities.
The presentation was witnessed by Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Investment and Promotion) Datuk Julaihi Narawi, members of STIDC board of management Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husainn and Datuk Yusuf Hadi, as well as STIDC general manager Datu Sarudu Hoklai.