» »Unlabelled » Another drive-by shooting feared BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

06:44:00

Another drive-by shooting feared BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

Another drive-by shooting feared

Posted: 14 May 2014 01:00 PM PDT

KOTA KINABALU: The staff and customers of Kuwait Finance House along Gaya Street here ran for cover after its main glass door cracked yesterday.

Fearing the incident might be another driveby shooting, police were deployed to the scene within minutes after the 5.20pm incident was reported to them.

City police chief ACP Jauteh Dikun, who was at the scene, however dismissed the incident as another driveby shooting after police failed to find any clues that the glass door was hit by hard object.

"Investigation at the scene found no clues or object that had hit the main glass door of Kuwait Finance House.

"After talking to the manager, police have confirmed that the door cracked by itself and this incident has nothing to do with any mischief activity," he said yesterday.

According to Jauteh, investigation believed that one of the glass doors had loosen after the alarm had been triggered since Saturday.

"What we understand that the alarm at the entrance door has been going on and off for two to three times a day since Saturday.

"Police believed that the crack on the door was due to it being loosen and not stable.

"Therefore police dismiss that this incident involved any driveby or mischief incident.

"It is just a door cracked by itself, believed due to heavy wind today," he said.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Finance House customer service manager Azaman Dimon said he was in the office when he heard a loud noise at the lobby and immediately went to have a look.

"When I went to look, I saw there is a crack on the glass door.

"I immediately went to look at the CCTV footage to see what actually happened but did not see anyone approach the building or vehicle pass by," he said yesterday.

On January 11 this year, more than 20 places in the state capital were hit by a drive-by mystery shooting.

Glass panes and glass doors of hotels, shopping malls, banks and fast food outlets were riddled with single bullet hole or some even shattered by shots fired by unknown people between midnight and 1am.

Police arrested five individuals to assist them in the investigation of these cases.

Print Friendly

Not easy for alcohol firms to set up rehab centres – Jainab

Posted: 14 May 2014 12:59 PM PDT

KOTA KINABALU: It is not easy to ask companies that are selling alcohol to establish rehabilitation centres for alcoholics.

"Proposing is easy, but the actual implementation is not that easy," Community Development and Consumer Affairs minister, Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid told The Borneo Post yesterday.

She said it would be better to concentrate on efforts to prevent rather than cure.

"Members of the community, including parents need to play a part to teach their young of the dangers that drinking alcohol posed…eventually, they may become alcoholics," she said.

At the same time, she also commented on the need to install good quality close circuit television cameras (CCTVs) around the city to deter untoward activities and crime.

"It is a good idea…as a developing nation, it would be good to install quality CCTVs, although I don't think it will reduce the incidences of crime in its entirety," she said.

She added that members of the community must still play their part — by not going to dark places, or walking alone in the dark. Parents too must look after their kids and ensure their young knows that danger lurks everywhere and they need to practise care.

"Even if there is CCTV, we should not put ourselves in danger unnecessarily," she said.

Print Friendly

Harris urges Chinese to invest in rural areas

Posted: 14 May 2014 10:06 AM PDT

KOTA KINABALU: Former chief minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh has urged the Chinese community in Sabah to look into the possibility of forming companies to undertake investments in the rural areas.

By doing this, it will not only bring in good returns to the investors, it will also create self-employment in the rural areas, said Harris, who spoke at a business talk organised by the Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) here recently.

"This will also once and for all erase the wrong perception that the Chinese are only interested to make money and deprive the Bumiputeras," he said, adding that the Chinese community should take his suggestion seriously as there is now a ready market for high value crops in China.

The Chinese, he pointed out, are searching and investing in food security all over the world, including Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

"Sabah is near to China, why not we grab this opportunity? The Premier of China, Li Keqian, during his visit to Africa recently has announced that China will invest US$1 trillion in Africa in the next 10 years. This should open our eyes," he said.

Harris also expressed his views on the present race relations, particularly between the Chinese and the natives as well as on the economy of the rural areas in Sabah.

According to Harris, these are among the most important issues that continue to prevail and bother the people.

"Under the 1Malaysia concept, steps must be taken to erase these issues once and for all. Once they are removed, everyone will accept that we are Malaysians and no longer see ourselves as Malay, Chinese, KadazanDusun, Murut or any other ethnic groups.

Harris also said the common perception among Malays (natives) that they remained poor and are lagging behind because of the Chinese is wrong and the latter cannot be blamed for the natives' predicament.

"Without the Chinese, most of the towns in Sabah would remain in the backwaters. The Chinese built the cities and towns, while the Indonesians, whom many regard as merely workers and labourers, actually built up the agricultural industry.

"Let's not forget that the British brought the Chinese into Sabah to start businesses and get them going, while the Indonesians were mostly brought in as mandor (supervisor) for the estates. We must thank the Chinese and the Indonesians for laying the foundation of our economy in Sabah today. These are hard facts," he said.

Print Friendly

CCTVs at 25 locations in KK

Posted: 14 May 2014 09:35 AM PDT

KOTA KINABALU: Installation of closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) at strategic locations in the state capital is not a 'miracle pill' to achieve zero crime rate, said Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah.

He said CCTVs would not eradicate criminal activities completely, as they could only capture crime scenes and criminals always had a way to get around that.

For instance, banks have their own CCTVs but criminals would don helmets when they rob a bank so that their facial features could not be captured, he said after attending a charity bazaar here on Tuesday.

Yong, who is responsible for the City Hall, said however CCTVs could at least deter part of the criminal activities, but more importantly, the public should be aware of crime prevention.

He was commenting on the recent carjacking cases, including the abduction of three-year-old Low Min You, who is still missing, after his father's car was driven away by some unknown individual(s) at a petrol kiosk here last week.

Yong admitted that the recent cases have indeed shed a negative light on the relevant authority.

Nevertheless, he said, City Hall would be installing CCTVs at 25 areas in the state capital, adding that the Federal Ministry of Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government had appointed a contractor to set up the CCTVs.

He said the relevant authorities, including the police and City Hall officials, have identified the locations to install the CCTVs.

"We understand that 25 CCTVs are insufficient, thus City Hall will apply for more from the Ministry of Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government. We hope to have at least 200 CCTVs installed in the state capital," he said.

On the other hand, Yong hoped the private sector would also install their own CCTVs for their own protection and to assist the relevant authorities.

Print Friendly

Farmers advised to be prepared for drought

Posted: 14 May 2014 09:34 AM PDT

TAMBUNAN: State Farmers Organisation Authority (FOA) director Anita Haji Misuari advised the farmers in the state to schedule the cultivation of their crops to avoid becoming victims of the drought which is expected to last for six months this year.

She said this was also to prevent losses if their crops were destroyed during the prolonged dry season.

"Farmers can contact the relevant committee in their area to get the right advice to avoid the adverse effects of the hot weather," she said when opening the annual general meeting of Tambunan Area Farmer Organization (AFO) here.

The United Kingdom Meteorological Office has forecast that the El Nino weather phenomenon would cause rising temperatures and a dry spell in the Southeast Asian region in the middle of this year.

However, local weather experts could not determine yet that Malaysia would also be affected by El Nino this time but if it does happen, Malaysia may face prolonged drought for up to six months.

Anita pointed out that the state FOA is committed in helping the farming community in the state to get good prices by eliminating the use of middlemen to market their produce.

She disclosed that the organization is one of the agencies under the Agriculture Ministry which is directly involved in promoting the agriculture sector in the country.

In this regard, she said FOA would work with the local authorities and relevant government agencies to establish farmers' markets and collection centres for agricultural products under AFO.

She said the farmers' markets and collection centres would make it easier for farmers to market their produce directly to consumers without having to go through the middlemen and they would also get a better price.

In the meantime, Anita urged the farmers to market their produce at weekly markets such as farmers' markets managed by the Federal Agriculture and Marketing Authority (FAMA).

"We hope that the incomes of farmers, breeders and fishermen could be improved," she added.

Also present at the ceremony were State Farmer Organization chairman Datuk Mohd Nazri Abdullah, assistant district officer Sallahuddin Tahir, Tambunan community development leader Silverius Bruno and Tambunan AFO chairman Dr Juanis Yajuni.

Print Friendly

Pope’s representative visits churches, chapels in Tuaran

Posted: 14 May 2014 09:33 AM PDT

by Nancy Lai. Posted on May 15, 2014, Thursday

KIULU: The first resident Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia, Archbishop Joseph Marino, spent yesterday visiting churches and chapels in the Tuaran constituency.

He was accompanied by the head of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, Archbishop John Wong Soo Kau, St John Tuaran Rector Nicholas Stephen, assistant Priest Jalius Sading, Father Daniel Dick Jamilong, Deacon Jack Sigang and Tuaran member of parliament Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau.

Archbishop Joseph visited St Philip's Church in Tamparuli where he was earlier hosted to breakfast by Tamparuli assemblyman Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing.

He also stopped by St Martin's Church in Malanggang Kiulu, St Joseph's Church and the San Damiano hostel, both also in Kiulu.

At each stop, he was mobbed by the local Catholic community who asked to have their photos taken with him and also his blessings. They were really excited to have such an important public figure visit them.

Archbishop Joseph attended mass at the La Foresta Retreat in Kiulu before heading to Lokub where he officially opened the St Michael Archangel's Church.

On Tuesday, Archbishop Joseph attended the Papar Diocese' Kaamatan celebration. He will leave for Kuala Lumpur today.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Joseph Marino, an American, as the first resident Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia, after deciding to open a new nunciature (embassy) in Kuala Lumpur.

The Nuncio is the Pope's diplomatic representative having the rank of ambassador.

Meanwhile, Tangau expressed his gratitude to Archbishop Joseph for visiting his constituency as it will augur goodwill between the Holy See and Sabah.

"He is here to familiarize with how the Christian community is doing here. He chose Tuaran maybe because he wants to see how the community in rural areas is doing. Yesterday he was in Papar for the Diocese's Kaamatan and I am sure he had a very good time," Tangau said.

Print Friendly