Kota Kinabalu: A special task force has been set up to monitor the security situation in the Karambunai constituency, which is plagued with social ills, like many parts in the State.The constituency covers Taman Kingfisher, Taman Richdar, Taman Indah Permai, Taman Kuala Menggatal, Taman Jaya Diri and Taman Bukit Setia, which are reportedly prone to crime, the latest involving the kidnap and assault of a 22-year-old Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) student at Kingfisher Park.Based on reported cases, the main crimes in Karambunai are Syabu trafficking, rape, robbery and snatch-theft.
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"There are also those who hold fake MyKads. Illegal immigrants contribute to the criminal cases in my constituency, in fact, they are among the causes of crime."Illegal squatter houses are mushrooming and occupied by non-Malaysian citizens. These are hide-outs of illegal immigrants," Karambunai Assemblywoman Hjh Jainab Datuk Hj Ahmad Ayid said Saturday.According to Jainab, the more critical areas include Taman Kingfisher, Taman Indah Permai, Taman Jaya Diri, Taman Bukit Setia and Taman Kuala Menggatal, involving cases of snatch-theft, rape, fights, Syabu addiction and trafficking, robbery, burglary, adolescent drunkenness, car breaking and glue-sniffing.She also drew attention to two areas notorious for Syabu addiction and trafficking, glue-sniffing, cockfighting, water and electricity thefts. These are the squatter houses behind Kg Lokub and the One Borneo Complex.
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Previously, Jainab had made repeated calls to the relevant authorities to step in and flush out the criminals and illegal immigrants but to no avail."No action was takenÉtheir activities are causing great fear to the local population."
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Just eight months ago, a UMS student from China was robbed of his handphone right in front of his rented house at Kingfisher 1. Two people just got out of their Kancil and snatched the handphone.Jainab announced the formation of the special task force, Saturday, after chairing a meeting with City Police Chief ACP Ahmad Sofi Zakaria and community leaders from the constituency at the State Conference Room at Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens here.Jainab, who is Assistant Minister of Industrial Development, and Ahmad Sofi are the joint chairpersons of this task force.She said village chiefs, village security and development committee (JKKK) chairmen, Rela personnel, Kingfisher Park Residents Committee members and church representatives who were present at the meeting are members of the special task force."Crime-prone villages and housing areas in Karambunai will be divided into sectors. For example, Kg Cenderamata 1, Likas, Kg Bakau, Likas, Kg Lembaga Padi, Kg Inanam Laut and Kg Kalansanan could be Sector A under a committee comprising village community leaders. "The rest could be in Sector B, Sector C and so on. The Ketua Sector (or Sector Head) for each sector will be a police personnel to oversee security matters."The committee for each sector will identify the problems bothering the villagers or residents of housing estates. Once in three months, we will meet as the main committee (special task force) like this inaugural meeting today," she explained.She urged the sector committees to locate the vacant houses now turned into drug dens to facilitate police raids and DBKK's demolition exercise.Jainab said she and Ahmad Sofi would be responsible for solving the problems to be raised by the various sector committees at each meeting."Each sector head is expected to report the happenings in their respective areas."Chairman of the Kingfisher Park Residents Committee, S.M. Muthu said there is a rise in petty thefts in the area."Kingfisher Park used to be a peaceful area but the scenario has changed since new housing developments started beyond the housing estate."Pastor Marey Wilfred from the Methodist Church questioned why the authorities took action only when something untoward had happened."If the Kingfisher Park had been lit up earlier, the crime (kidnapping and assaulting of the UMS student) wouldn't have taken place. The presence of illegal immigrants is also worrying. "Now the students are afraid to go out for their lunch or dinner," she said while calling for intensified police patrolling in the area."And I hope the proposed balai polis at Taman Kingfisher will be built fast to restore the students' confidence in the police force."At this juncture, a social worker, who declined to be named, claimed that many things such as burglary are happening in the UMS Campus. "For instance, a student was robbed of his handphone and laptop computer while waiting at the bus-stop." Another student was robbed of his laptop computer at a Kingfisher restaurant and the same robber repeated his act in the campus shortly after that, according to the social worker.Meanwhile, KK CID Chief DSP Ahmad Asri Jamaluddin commended Jainab for taking the initiative to form the special task force with the co-operation of police.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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