Perpetrators of goldsmith shop blast condemned

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Christina Liew has condemned the action of those responsible for the explosion at a goldsmith shop in the Segama Shopping Complex in the wee hours on Monday.

“We cannot tolerate violence causing destruction and disrupting the peace in the state capital. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the incident.

“However, it is unfortunate that it occurred at a time when the government was aggressively promoting Sabah as a premier tourist destination in the region,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.

Christina, who is Api-Api assemblywoman, was commenting on an attempted robbery at the jewellery shop, involving the use of a pipe bomb.

She hoped the police would track down the culprit(s) soon and urged them to beef up their law enforcement division so that there will be more personnel to patrol the city as a security measure.

“We (government) have always projected Kota Kinabalu as a safe destination for visitors and tourists alike. We do not want any untoward incident to mar our good reputation,” Christrina added.

City police chief ACP Habibi Majinji said no arrest had been made as police were still investigating the motive behind the explosion. “We are still investigating the motive and those involved in the incident.

“No arrest has been made at this moment and we have set up a team to investigate this case,” he said when met during the Back to School program at SM Maktab Sabah in Sembulan yesterday.

Initial police investigation believed sulfur material was used to make the bomb which only destroyed the goldsmith shop grating around 2.30am on December 31.

Nothing was stolen as the shop owner, who was out of the State at that time, did not keep any jewellery at the premises.

The case is currently being investigated under Section 6 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 and the Explosives Act 1957.