By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Jan 21: Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian says Sarawak will “do it all ourselves” including having its own police force and coast guard to enhance state security.
“Security wise, we have started to address the coast guard (sic). We want local enforcement officers to become local police.
“So all these will address our security needs because often, we feel very frustrated. When we asked the police to help us, they said their cars were broken down, no funding for this, no funding for that.
“Security is [a big] concern. That is why the Sarawak government will set up our own local police. I mean we want to set up our own local police, we (will) set up the coast guard,” said Dr Sim at his ministry’s Chinese New Year Media Nite on Monday evening (Jan 20) at a restaurant here.
He also cited an incident last year where the Sarawak Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) revealed it could not constantly patrol the state’s coastline due to the lack of patrol vessels as well as diesel to run the said vessels.
“Our police cars here also break down and there are no police cars. So we are trying to assist but at the same time, it [concerns] our Sarawakians’ security.”
He pointed out that it was possible for the state government to step up to address these issues because the state was creating revenue and had its own money for such initiatives, citing the state government’s recent announcement of two months’ salary bonus to the Sarawakian civil service as an example.
Dr Sim who is also Batu Kawah assemblyman said that was why the next two years are important to Sarawakians as these are Sarawak’s “growing up” years.
“So in the process of growing up, no one can stop us from progressing towards that direction. No divisive force, no suppressive force can do that, unless we are not united.
“The direction is very clear. We are heading that way — ‘ka ki lai liao liao’ (‘do it all ourselves’ in Hokkien). — DayakDaily
