RANAU: A 65-year-old man was fined RM1,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here for possessing an unlicensed homemade firearm at his house in Kampung Tinangian.
The court also ordered the accused, Salang Polong, to serve eight months’ jail if in default of payment.
Salang was charged under Section 8 of the Firearms Act 1960, which carries a penalty of up to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to RM10,000, or both upon conviction.
He was found having a bakakuk, without a valid licence.
The case came to light after one Norzita Lausang lodged a police report expressing concern for her safety following an ongoing family dispute involving the cutting down of several red durian and tarap trees.
The complainant alleged that on Oct 27, 2024, she saw the accused, who is her uncle, walking past her house carrying what appeared to be a homemade firearm. Fearing for her safety and that of her family members, she sought police intervention.
Police recovered the bakakuk (shotgun) beside a refrigerator inside a storeroom of the house.
Subsequent forensic examination by the Firearms and Explosives Unit of the Sabah Police Contingent Headquarters confirmed that the homemade firearm remained functional and was capable of discharging a shot.
