Why need to station cop beside bed of every survivor?

Published on: Saturday, February 18, 2017

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By JYCK
AFTER two weeks of the sunken Catamaran, the search would continue for the five missing persons including two already confirmed dead by the survivors according to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sabah and Labuan Regional Director First Admiral Mohd Zubil Mat Som.

It is appropriate that maximum attention and action be accorded to this disaster albeit the police report lodged 12 hours late.

Several key questions on the departure jetty, the age and quality of the Catamaran have been answered in Daily Express reports and more questions would need some good answers.

Is it usual that five orange life jackets were fished out from the sea during the search and rescue effort?

These life jackets have been confirmed to have nothing to do with the sunken Catamaran on the way to Pulau Mengalum. So where do these fairly new and partly old ones come from?

Would it be normal for such life jackets to be strewn over the sea for nothing? We are told that the survivors had life jackets on while in the sea for 30 hours. We were also told that there were not enough jackets for some travellers and yet some life jackets were found floating in the sea.

The editor made a note under letter headed “Nothing from the survivors” that policemen was stationed at each hospital bed. Was it really that it was meant to stop local reporters speaking to the survivors?

Why was such strange police action taken for a capsized boat? What else do we not know?

Maybe the China’s CCTV would come out with a full report soon.

Were the police taking orders from the Chinese consul and if so who gave her the authority being a foreigner to order our local police?

Now the China Consulate in Sabah asked for compensation for the 27/28 victims – both dead and survivors.

So who is to be held responsible for such massive compensation?

Earlier, there was a report by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sabah and Labuan Regional Director First Admiral Mohd Zubil Mat Som that his people had some issues and problems in the Search and Rescue operation.

According to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Kota Kinabalu director, First Admiral Adam Aziz on 5th February, the hospital also conducts counselling sessions for those involved in the operation to ensure the mental and physical health of every personnel. Who are really in charge of the SAR – Mohd Zubil or Adam Aziz?

Would a white paper be prepared by the State Government to prevent a recurrence?

JYCK