KOTA KINABALU – Sabah police will propose to the state government to block the entry of criminals into Sabah using the state’s special immigration powers.
This comes following a deadly brawl at a restaurant in Beaufort involving a “rehabilitated” Gang 24 member from Klang, Selangor.
Sabah police chief Datuk Hazani Ghazali said he will talk to the state government to utilise the state’s special immigration powers to block the entry of persons deemed unwanted by the state.
Such powers were mostly held by politicians in the past, especially under the Barisan Nasional administration.
“I want the Sabah government to blacklist all those linked with criminal activities. This way, we can stop them from committing crimes in Sabah. We don’t want them to come to Sabah,” he said during the unveiling of the new escort vehicles assigned to the Head of State here today.
Hazani also proposes that the same order be imposed on migrants with criminal records in the state who hold IMM13 documents.
On December 22, a Murut man succumbed to the injuries he sustained during a brawl at a restaurant in Beaufort, some two hours from here.
The main suspects are identified as Hobalan Vello @ Jimmy Black and Kesavan Perembalan – who are allegedly linked to organised gangs in Peninsular Malaysia.
Hobalan has seven prior criminal records between 2003 and 2004, and was involved in the Gang 24 “secret society” in Klang, Selangor.
He also spent a year in jail under the Emergency (Public Order and Crime Prevention) Ordinance 2007.
Six men, including a friend of the two main suspects, and Kesavan have been arrested so far, while police believe Hobalan has fled to Sarawak.
Hazani said he has sought the Sarawak police’s help to arrest him.
The case has gained widespread attention among Sabahans, with state Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan even issuing a statement urging indigenous groups to remain calm and let the authorities handle the case.
This comes following viral claims that the suspects are being protected by the police. The police have already denied this.
A Sarawak activist, Peter John Jaban, also called on the police to review cases of criminals sent to the rural parts of Sabah and Sarawak under the now-repealed Restricted Residence Act 1933 and Banishment Act 1959.
He said many of those banished may have married local women and settled down, but could still cause problems without continuous supervision by police.
He said the policy of sending criminals to rural areas is flawed in the first place because many of them simply set up shop again and influence the rural communities, especially the youth. – The Vibes, December 29, 2020
