PETALING JAYA: Kalabakan MP Datuk Ghapur Salleh has warned that Sabahans are “getting fed-up” with the recent spate of kidnappings – the latest case involving a fish farm manager from China.
“Many agents don’t have business now because tourists from China don’t want to come here anymore.
“Sabahans are fed up with all the promises of the Federal Govern-ment.
“We have been part of Malaysia for 51 years now but the government doesn’t think of our safety,” he claimed in an interview.
Ghapur was commenting on the kidnapping of Yang Zai Lin of Guangzhou who was taken from the Wonderful Terrace Fish Farm on Pulau Baik at about 2.45am on Tuesday by five gunmen believed to be from southern Philippines.
The kidnap comes barely a month after a tourist from Shanghai Gao Huayun, 29, and Filipino resort worker Marcy Dayawan, 40, were kidnapped by gunmen from Singamata Reef Resort off Semporna.
Ghapur said the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) should be dismantled and the National Security Council (MKN) take over the security of the area.
“Esscom is a toothless tiger. It has no command over the police or the army. It is better to get someone who has power.”
Esscom was formed following the invasion of Sulu gunmen last year. It covers 1,400km of the eastern coast of Sabah from Kudat to Tawau
Penampang MP Darell Leiking said it was time to “declare war on terrorists” who came into the country to wreak havoc and chaos.
“We have been made to look like fools and weaklings. They come into the country with weapons and army fatigues and they wreak chaos, havoc and fear. They are not mere kidnappers, but terrorists.
“Enough is enough. We shouldn’t show them any kindness. They should be shot on sight,” he said.
In BEIJING, Chinese nationals were enquiring about the fate of Huayun, who was abducted in April, when news of the kidnapping of a Chinese fish farm manager from the coastal state broke yesterday.
“She has not returned home. It has been a month,” said a post on microblogging site Weibo.
“What has happened to her? We haven’t been hearing any news,” another Weibo user asked.
The latest incident sparked a slew of comments on the safety in Sabah.
Some netizens said they would not visit Malaysia following these abductions.
Others wondered why the Chinese were always targeted, while urging the Chinese government to take action to rescue the victims.
Related Story:
Sabah shaken by kidnapping of fish farm manager from Guangzhou
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