Ramli (left) pinning a DSP rank pin on Padawan district deputy police chief Lim Jaw Shyong. – Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi.
KUCHING: Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din has denied a claim that Kuching is unsafe.
Noting that such statement is not backed by facts, Ramli said it will not only affect the city’s image in the eyes of public but will also affect the state’s tourism efforts and scare investors away.
“Recently, there was a statement claiming that Kuching is not safe. I feel this statement is a very ‘semberono’ (reckless) and ‘dangkal’ (shallow) which is not based on facts.
“I don’t know the agenda behind spreading of such a statement. Based on facts, Kuching or Sarawak is peaceful,” he told a press conference today after officiating the Sarawak Police Contingent promotion ceremony.
Ramli was responding to a claim made by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Youth Central secretary-general Milton Foo who recently questioned whether Kuching is a safe place.
Foo told a press conference on Feb 8 that there were eight police reports filed over the past few months like arson, break-ins and vandalism, which he claimed made people feel unsafe.
Ramli said it would be unfair if the police’s effort in keeping the state safe, as well as the government’s effort in promoting year 2020 as Visit Sarawak Year and efforts to attract outside investors here are ‘destroyed’ because of the statement.
“We have been carrying out many crime prevention measures and we have made many arrests. From drug related offences, across the board with 1,824 arrests made within the first two months of this year, compared to 1,170 arrests the same period last month. Cheating cases with 1,318 cases this year compared to 735 the same period last year.”
Besides that, he said said Sarawak is ranked second after Penang in terms of public’s confidence in police with the score of 80.9 per cent compared to Penang with the score of 81 per cent.
Ramli took the opportunity to remind certain quarters to be careful in making statements that may stir and create chaos in the public as it is an offence under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code and if convicted, they can be fined two years, fined or both.
At the ceremony, 33 officers promoted to the rank of superintendent, deputy superintendent and assistant superintendent.