Kota Kinabalu: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew called for more police patrolling, closed circuit television (CCTV) facilities, improved street lighting and anything else that will make for a safer city.
She said lately there were car smashing incidents along Jalan Gaya and robberies all over the city involving both tourists and locals, and causing serious injuries to the victims, as well as attempted burglaries in housing areas.
“I am appalled at the outrageous acts in challenging the authorities outright. The two latest incidents indicated that would-be criminals were getting brazen and targeting locals.
“It could strike fear in the hearts of shoppers and visitors, and we don’t want this to happen. Liew
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“And on Thursday morning, even a commercial bank was not spared. The crime committed at the Maybank premises at Kg Air is atrocious.
“We cannot allow this dangerous situation to escalate into something beyond our control,” Liew said in a statement.
She was referring to a man believed to be highly intoxicated, who broke the window panels of a bank using an iron rod in Kg Air, here.
However, no items were reported missing from the bank.
A female staff lodged a police report, leading to the arrest of the man, believed to be a local, to facilitate investigations.
Another man, also believed to be a local, shirtless and visibly intoxicated, was seen outside the bank premises engaging in an animated conversation with a policeman.
The Api-Api Assemblywoman, said Gaya Street is a historic street, and a popular destination with locals and tourists alike.
“The crowd at the Api-Api Night Food Market on Fridays and Saturdays is now back to the pre-pandemic level, and vendors are doing a brisk business. Do not allow criminal activities to be a ‘spoiler’,” she said.
Liew looks forward to the revived Tourist Police Unit being deployed at strategic locations to restore public confidence and to keep street kids at bay.
Police and new Mayor Datuk Dr Sabin Samitah had only last month assured the public that more patrolling would be carried out and the two incidents happening within a space of a few days have raised serious questions.
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