Shahelmey (front row, second from right) and Dr Rose (right) being briefed by a personnel on Peka B40, another health initiative by the government.
KOTA KINABALU (Aug 3): Civil servants, including police personnel from West Malaysia who are facing disciplinary action are not welcomed in Sabah.
Community Development and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said that Sabah and Sarawak are not the destination for such civil personnel from West Malaysia.
“We don’t want civil servants who are facing disciplinary actions to be dispatched to Sabah (and Sarawak),” he added.
Shahelmey, who was expressing his opinion, said that he felt it was unfair that Sabah and Sarawak are the destinations of nine police officers who were being investigated for allegedly extorting a businessman in Gombak over a drug case.
He was commenting on a report where Selangor Deputy Police Chief S. Sasikala Devi was quoted saying that the nine police officers under investigation for the case were transferred to work in Sabah and Sarawak.
Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) also demanded that the police stop using Sabah as a dumping ground for their problematic officers.
Its president, Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, in a statement here on Wednesday said that the plan to transfer the nine police officers who were suspected of extorting a businessman over narcotics possession was irresponsible and insensitive.
“This must be rectified immediately. Sabah already faces numerous security threats, such as piracy, kidnappings, and the presence of members of the ISIS-linked terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf.
“And yet, despite all of these problems, the police thought it was a good idea to place crooked and problematic cops to ‘protect’ our security.
“This is simply wrong and unacceptable, even if it is part of their disciplinary procedures,” he said.
He also questioned the rationality of allowing police officers to continue working even though they are under criminal investigation.
Jeffrey who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, said it is no secret that Sabah is a favourite destination for the country’s justice system to exile hardened criminals from other regions of Malaysia.
“Stop using Sabah and Sarawak as a dumping ground for Malaya’s problems,” he demanded.
Sabah Star vice president Kenny Chua said the transfer of these police officers has only confirmed what Sabahans and Sarawakians believe to have been practiced for so long.
“For so long, Sabahans and Sarawakians believe that our states are dumping grounds for problematic federal government servants including those men and women in uniform from Peninsular Malaysia.
“The announcement that the nine cops have been transferred to Sabah and Sarawak only confirms their belief. It begs the question: is this their perception of Sabah and Sarawak? That we’re just a dumping ground for government servants with disciplinary issues?” he asked in a statement.
Kota Belud member of parliament Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis was the first Sabahan leader to have expressed anger over the transfer of the nine police officers to Sabah and Sarawak.
“Stop treating us like this,” she was quoted saying in Parliament on Tuesday.
Isnaraissah had said that Sabah and Sarawak should not be treated as “dumping grounds” for problematic officers.
Chua said the people in the Borneo states are very unhappy with such a treatment.
“These are problematic persons who are still under investigation as reported in the news. How can we be sure they would serve their duties as cops with integrity and honesty during their posting in our beloved states?” he asked.
He said people want to know if this has been the practice by all other federal authorities and departments as well.
Chua also said that it is high time the state government needs to have its own screening mechanism of federal government servants from Peninsular Malaysia working in Sabah.
“We want to be able to conduct our own background check. Ideally, it’s best to fill all the federal posts including federal authorities in Sabah and Sarawak by Sabahans and Sarawakians,” he said.
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk Chin Su Phin said police officers suspected of wrongdoings should be suspended from duty pending investigation.
“Any civil servants or government leaders who have violated the law should be taken action in a fair and firm manner, instead of protecting them from facing consequences of their actions,” he said.
Chin expressed concern at the transfer of the police officers who are being investigated for extortion to Sabah and Sarawak.
“The people will be worried as to whether the officers will abide the law here,” he said.
“The police officers should be suspended from duty. Why were they transferred to Sabah?
“Anyone, including political leaders, should be suspended if they are suspected of wrongdoings while investigations is being carried out.”
Chin pointed out that Sabahans deserve to know where and which department the police officers have been transferred to, adding that they should be assigned to positions in locations that is easier to monitor their conduct.
He lamented that this is the culture passed down from political leaders, whereby convicted leaders or even leaders under probe for committing offences seemed like it was no big deal.
“In other countries, leaders who are even suspected of wrongdoings would apologize and step down from their positions,” he said.
Parti Bersatu Sabah Youth chief Christoper Mandut urged the Sabah government to reject the transfer of bad cops into the state, saying there is no room for undisciplined members of security forces.
“Sabah has enough of the ill effects of the illegal immigrants, now Selangor deputy police chief S Sasikala Devi is ridding nine problematic police constables and sub-inspectors by transferring them to East Malaysia whose alleged involvement in an extortion case was still undergoing investigation.
“She said Selangor has no place for such enforcers … what makes her think Sabah deserves these bad cops?” Mandut asked.
Echoing public opinion that Sabah is not a dumping ground for criminals and undisciplined and unethical enforcers, he stressed that the Sabah government should not accept the transfer of these people and concentrate on fixing the state’s existing headache dealing with the large number of illegal immigrants in the state.
“Let us keep our focus on our existing problems. We don’t need another headache,” he said.