Shooting club shut down due to lax security even after student suicide

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Shooting Association's clubhouse in Subang has been sealed temporarily because the management failed to conform to existing rules and regulations, says Comm Datuk Mazlan Mansor.

The Selangor police chief said Bukit Aman has ordered the shooting range to be closed until the management fulfilled all security requirements.

"We have to be firm as such centres involve the use of weapons.

"They (management) did not adhere to regulations," he said, without elaborating.

The management of the shooting club came into sharp focus when on June 27, a student committed suicide in a Subang Jaya college toilet with a Walther GS. The 19-year-old, a club member, got the pistol from the shooting range.

Subsequently, security requirements at the clubhouse were ordered to be beefed up.

However, despite all this, the association failed to do so and this has resulted in the clubhouse being sealed off.

Sources said the clubhouse was home to the national sportsmen’s shooting range.

Meanwhile, Comm Mazlan also advised other shooting clubs to follow the procedures and security requirements.

"If weapons and bullets go missing, it may endanger lives," he stressed.

As a consequence of the police action on the clubhouse, some 20 national shooters – who are taking part in the 42nd South-East Asia Shooting Championships in Taiwan next month – are now in limbo.

They have neither weapons nor a place for training after the Selangor Shooting Association’s clubhouse in Subang was sealed off.

Police have made the Olympic-standard shooting range off-limits.

The armoury at the clubhouse is also not to be used, and this has caused further dismay to members and national shooters.

For now, no resolution is in sight.

The 20 shooters are supposed to take part in the Oct 22-31 championship in Taiwan.

The clubhouse is also the permanent headquarters of the South-East Asia Shooting Association (Seasa).