KENINGAU – A video of a scuffle between foreigners and locals here has gone viral, deepening the unease many Sabahans feel about the state’s high migrant numbers.
The three-minute clip shows two men, believed to be Pakistanis, and a group of local men hurling objects at one another, leading to social media users calling for the foreigners to be immediately repatriated.
Police have arrested three men following the incident, said to have taken place at the Keningau Market about 7.30pm yesterday.
District police chief Shahrudin Mat Husain said the two foreigners are father and son, both of whom sustained injuries to the head and stomach.
He did not confirm whether the duo are foreigners.
“The incident was triggered by a misunderstanding between the father and son, and the other man.
“The situation worsened after the man’s friend stepped in and threw objects at the father-son pair. Things then escalated.”
This is not the first incident of its kind in the state.
In 2014, a street fight broke out between locals and foreigners near the district's fish market, with a 34-year-old foreigner arrested.
Police are investigating the latest case under Section 148 of the Penal Code for rioting. – The Vibes, October 6, 2020