PM has to answer for latest Sabah kidnapping

Teresa Kok reminds Najib Razak of his “I owe Sabah” declaration and says he must provide them with security not just development.

KUALA LUMPUR: Saying that “balanced development” was not enough, MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok has said the prime minister still owed Sabahans a satisfactory answer as to how he intended to strengthen security for them.

She was referring to the kidnapping case last night involving a female restaurant owner and a Sarawakian male at a seafood restaurant. The kidnappers were armed and sped off in a boat with the two victims.

In a statement issued today, she asked, “Can ESSCOM really provide the safety? Can we trust the Government’s assurances? Will heads roll for the latest security breach?”

She said that apart from yesterday’s kidnapping, a Taiwanese tourist was murdered in 2013 and his wife kidnapped at Pom Pom Island off Sabah.

Berating the government for issuing excuse upon excuse coupled with “new assurances” for safety and security every time a kidnapping or murder took place in Sabah, she asked what the new explanation would be this time around.

She also appeared to be still seething over being charged with sedition for her “Onederful Malaysia 2014 CNY” satirical video in which she highlighted Sabah’s lax security.

“Instead of taking heed of the video message and taking the effective measures to resolve the people’s concern, some BN politicians chose to twist my message and made false and malicious allegations against me, accusing me of belittling our armed forces.”

She said even Minister of Tourism and Culture Nazri Aziz had admitted in Parliament that certain places in Sabah remained unsafe for tourists.

“Yesterday’s daring and shocking kidnapping incident at Ocean King Seafood Restaurant by Sandakan seafront…has proven Nazri right.”