Native leader fears for his life after pistol threat online

Verdon talks to the media after lodging a police report in Luyang over the death threat.

KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah native leader has filed a police report after a threat against him was posted online as a result of his campaign against the presence of illegal immigrants.

Verdon Bahanda said the threat came in a photograph posted to the Facebook group “Gerakan Solidariti Orang Asal Sabah”. It showed a piece of cardboard bearing the words “Verdon halal di bunu” (Verdon to be killed), as well as a pistol and a magazine.

He said he was very concerned for the safety of his family as a result of the threat, which he said came about because of his initiatives.

“But no matter, my campaign to resolve the illegal immigrant problems in Sabah will not be hampered by such threats,” he said in his police report.

A screenshot of the threat aimed at Verdon Bahanda, a Sabah native rights leader, posted to a Facebook group.

Verdon had previously started three initiatives, to unify indigenous Sabahans, boycott the products sold by illegal immigrants and calling for the native communities to launch multiple reports about illegal immigrants.

He said the threat against him showed that the long-standing illegal immigrant problem in Sabah was now a serious security concern.

“The migrant problem is not just an economic problem and if they dare to do this now, then worse things could happen to the indigenous Sabahans in future,” he said. - FMT