Cops ill-equipped, have ‘shack-like’ stations

Bung: Syabu being sold like 'pisang goreng' in Sabah.

KUALA LUMPUR: Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin told Parliament on Tuesday that the police in Sabah, certainly in Kinabatangan and perhaps elsewhere in Malaysia, are still stuck in the 80s in terms of equipment and other support facilities.

He also alleged in his take that syabu (drugs) is being sold like pisang goreng (banana fritters) in Sabah.

The police, he claimed, had “shack-like” stations in Kinabatangan, “and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the officers to breathe in there due to the lack of space”.

“The police must be well-equipped but our cops are still stuck in the 80s’ era with old school equipment to fight much more advanced criminals,” said Bung without mincing his words.

Bung asked the Deputy Prime Minister if there will be allocations to upgrade the equipment and police stations in Kinabatangan for the police, “since the government seems undecided on the matter”.

“At first I was told there will be an allocation for the police in Kinabatangan, then it was pulled out, and then in again, so I am not too sure,” said Bung. “We can’t expect too much from them if they are so ill-equipped.”

“It’s like giving them guns with no bullets or a car without fuel.”