‘Look out for suspicious characters, activities’
KUCHING: Serian District Council (MDS) councillors have been told to be on the lookout for suspicious characters and activities in the division.
Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong said this is necessary after the seemingly peaceful division was rocked by news of the arrests of suspected terrorists and drug pushers.
“We were all taken by surprise. I want to tell the councillors to please open your eyes and ears, and report any suspicious characters and activities immediately to the Resident and authorities.
“At first we were shocked about the news of terrorists being arrested there, and then it seemed that the drug problem is also serious. We need to be more alert on this,” he said at a meeting between Serian Division elected representatives and MDS on Friday.
The meeting also agreed that MDS should be more businessfriendly but at the same time watch out for locals who let their business licenses be used by foreigners.
On Feb 2, suspects with links to terror group Ansar Al-Shariah Al-Tunisia were arrested by the Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division in Serian.
One of the suspects was the owner of an Arab restaurant at Taman Anggerik Indah.
On Monday, newspapers carried reports of 41 suspects aged between 15 and 50 arrested during a one-day operation in 19 Serian Division villages for being drug pushers in their respective areas.
On another matter, Manyin said efforts to make Serian a must-stop town for travellers on the Pan Borneo Highway must continue.
He called on MDS to introduce a grading system for toilets at coffee shops and suggested a committee, involving the local coffee shop association, be formed.
Manyin explained that clean toilets would encourage travellers to stop at the coffee shops in Serian.
“Of course, the coffee shops too must improve the variety of food offered to the customers,” he said.
The meeting also discussed areas under MDS’ jurisdiction that still overlap with the Padawan Municipal Council.
Besides Manyin, who is Tebedu assemblyman, the other elected representatives present were Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn (Tarat assemblyman), Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Snowdan Lawan (Balai Ringin assemblyman), Kedup assemblyman Martin Ben, and Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus.
Also present were MDS deputy chairman Dr Simon Sinang Bada – who is also a political secretary to the Chief Minister, Serian Resident Johnathan Lugoh, MDS secretary Constantine Jonas, and Serian District Officer Lim Hock Meng.