Home Minister should be responsible and resign

Saturday 5 April 2014

PETALING JAYA: Seputeh MP Teresa Kok wants Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to take responsibility for the latest security breach which has further tarnished Malaysia’s image. Kok said this was justified since the police force is under the Home Ministry.

The opposition member of parliament said many had criticised the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) in relation to the kidnapping of a Chinese tourist and a Filipino worker in Semporna, Sabah on April 2. Kok said it was also shocking for Esscom to say that it has no power to give direct orders to the 10 districts.

Esscom Corporate Communication head Newmond Tibin said the 10 districts – Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau – were under the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone) and had their own respective officer in charge of police districts (OCPDs).

“This is quite a shocking announcement as the government has given the impression that with the setting up of Esscom, Sabah safety will be ensured,” said Kok.

She added that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who launched Esscom in April last year to beef up security in Sabah, should let Malaysians know if he accepts such an explanation.

“If Zahid cannot provide an acceptable explanation for the security breach, he should have the sense of honour to offer his voluntary resignation as the Home Minister, failing which the option is for the Prime Minister to sack him,” she said.

On a related matter, Kok said former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee’s cash offer to slap Zahid was totally wrong and unacceptable. Yong was reported to make the RM500 offer to “show the anger of Sabahans over the repeated failures of the federal government to fulfill its constitutional duty to protect Sabah and its people”.

“I disagree with the cash offer to slap Zahid. A slap threat is criminal intimidation and to support it is tantamount to replacing rule of law with jungle laws. I am committed to rule of law and will never advocate jungle laws. My stand is therefore my commitment to the rule of law and is not a support for Zahid,” she said.

Zahid had in February dismissed the slap threat made against Kok by the Council of Islamic NGOs, saying it was not a death threat.

FMT Borneo Plus

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