Bill (seated third left) and other Pedas members after their press conference yesterday.
MIRI: An assistant manager of an oil palm company was injured and passed out when a group of people from three longhouses in Bekelit, Niah attacked him, four police officers and two immigration officers in Bekelit, Niah on Monday.
In a press conference held here yesterday, Persatuan Dayak Sarawak (Pedas) secretary Bill Kayong said the incident started at an oil palm estate in Bekelit at about 11am.
According to Bill, the assistant manager accompanied by the four police officers and two immigration officers were wandering around the estate, and failed to introduce themselves to the longhouse folks when asked by them.
“In fact, two of them scared the longhouse folks by pointing pistols at them,” Bill claimed, adding that it caused panic and forced the longhouse folks of over 100 people to arrest all seven of them.
Bill said the police officers and the two immigration officers were wearing civilian clothes so could not have been on duty.
He said Pedas appeared at the scene when contacted by the longhouse folks for help.
“We rushed to the scene in 10 cars – two from Bintulu and the rest from Miri. Upon arrival at about 3.30pm, we found that the assistant manager had been brought to the clinic for breathing difficulty.”
Pedas lodged a police report on the incident and demanded that police investigate the incident.
It is learnt that longhouse folks have been embroiled in a dispute with the estate for some time.
Miri police chief ACP Junaidi Bujang when contacted for comments on the arrest of four cops yesterday, denied his officers were abusing their power. In fact, a higher authority had been informed of their operation.
“Police were doing surveillance after we received information that there were illegal immigrants hired by the estate in the area,” he said.
He said on their way back from the estate, his men were stopped by a group of young men, believed drunk, and they caused a commotion.
“My men introduced themselves as police officers, but the young men called for more people to come and started to beat them,” he said.
Junaidi denied that his officers had pointed pistols at the longhouse folks.
“We will look for the individual responsible. We will not keep quiet,” he said.