KUCHING: The police have to do their part in bringing back public confidence that the country is governed by the rule of law, in view of the two assault cases that happened in the state recently.
Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah gave this view when commenting on the assault case involving Tuai Rumah Jambai from Bekelit in Bekenu and public assault of two youths at a mall here on Sunday.
“I congratulate the swift action taken by the police in apprehending the suspects in the assault case in Miri and the one at a shopping complex in Kuching. I have to admit that the public are alarmed by what is happening and thanks to social media for bringing this matter to the open.
“The police have to do their part in bringing back public confidence that the country is governed by the rule of law and not law of the jungle. We cannot let thugs and hooligans rule the street and create an atmosphere of fear to the public,” Abdul Karim told The Borneo Post yesterday.
On the assault case in a shopping mall, Abdul Karim said state Police Commissioner Datuk Seri Muhammad Sabtu Osman should not brush aside the incident as an isolated case and not a case involving criminal gangs.
“He should instead make sure that the long arm of the law will reach out to all offenders wherever they are. Do not let the public lose hope on law enforcement agencies.”
Sabtu had told reporters yesterday that the public assault here on Sunday was an ‘isolated case’ which was not in any way linked to gangsterism.
Abdul Karim reminded the police not to downplay the gangsterism issues in Bekenu and Kuching as a small offence.
Meanwhile, Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing said both assaults shouldn’t have happened and the police should ‘hunt’ the thugs and bring them to justice.
On the assault on Tuai Rumah Jambai, Masing said he was told that it was done by ‘samseng’ (triads) because Jambai was defending his native customary rights land.
“If this type of behaviour continues and is tolerated by those in authority, this country will go to the ‘dogs’ and nobody will feel safe defending their properties.”
A good example of when the authorities had not done enough in upholding the laws, he continued, was when ‘lorry hantu’ (ghost lorries) kept on breaking the road barriers along Bakun road without anyone caught for the offence so far.
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