Liew appeals for better security in Kota Kinabalu
KOTA KINABALU: Please tighten the security in and around the State capital, intensify police patrolling, install more closed circuit television (CCTV) facilities, improve street lightings anddo anything possible to make Kota Kinabalu a safer city.
This is the appeal by Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Christina Liew who expressed alarm over the recent spate of crimes committed in broad daylight.
She said of late, there were car smashing incidents along Jalan Gaya, and robberies all over the KK City involving both tourists and locals, and causing serious injuries to the victims, as well as attempted burglaries in housing areas.
“I am absolutely appalled at the outrageous acts of the robbers in challenging the authorities outrightly. Sadly, the last two incidents in the city indicated that would-be criminals were getting brazen and targeting locals. It could strike fear in the hearts of shoppers and visitors, and we don’t want this to happen.
“The horrifying nature of robberies, in which a woman was brutally attacked, would not only earn a ‘bad’ name for Gaya Street but would also scare off potential tourists.
“And on Thursday morning, even a commercial bank was not spared. The crime committed at the Maybank premises at Kampung Air is atrocious. As such, it is vital to avert an insecure environment where KK residents, particularly city dwellers, live in fear. We cannot allow this dangerous situation to escalate into something beyond our control,” Liew said in a statement on Thursday.
The glass panel of the bank was broken by a man suspected to be mentally unstable.
Police have detained the man. It is learnt that he had been arrested several times for causing a stir.
Liew, who is the Api-Api Assemblywoman, added Gaya Street is a historic street, and a popular destination with locals and tourists alike.
“The crowd at the Api-Api Night Food Market on Fridays and Saturdays is now back to the pre-pandemic level, and vendors are doing a brisk business. Let us not allow criminal activities to be a ‘spoiler’,” she added.
Liew looks forward to the revived Tourist Police Unit being deployed to strategic locations in the city, including Gaya Street, to restore public safety and to keep street kids at bay.