Dialogue Between Tawau Chinese Community and Police

Organised by Chinese Chamber of Commerce Tawau

June 24, 2010, Lau Gek Poh Memorial Hall
5.00 pm

Attendance
1. DCP Datuk Noor Rashid Bin Ibrahim, Sabah Commissioner of Police
2. Datuk Yap Yew Sin, President of Chinese Chamber of Commerce Tawau
3. ACP Ibrahim Chin, Tawau District Police Chief
4. Mr Ismail Mayakop, Tawau Municipal Council President
5. ACP Mohd Khalil Kadir, Deputy Head of Criminal Investigation Department
(Operations)
6. Datuk Elbert Lim
7. YB Pang Yuk Min, Merotai Assemblyman, Sabah Deputy Minister of Infrastructure
Development
8. YB Jimmy Wong Hon, Sri Tanjung Assemblyman
9. YB Datuk Chua Soon Bui, Tawau MP
10. Datuk Dr Charlie Chang
11. Datuk Jaswant Singh
12. Mr Charles Chan, Chairman of the Organising Committee
13. Mr Ho Li Niu, Vice President Federation of Chinese Associations Tawau
14. Members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Tawau
15. Members of the Indian Chamber of Commerce Tawau
16. Interested public
17. Senior Police Officers, Tawau District Police Headquarters

Dialogue Chairman: Lee Chye Ewe

Welcome Speech by Head of District Police Office, ACP Ibrahim Chin

1. The Dialogue will further strengthen ties and understanding between the police and
the Chinese community.
2. The police is prepared to accept suggestions and criticism from the public and will
take appropriate actions.
3. Assures that the safety and security in Tawau is under control
4. The police will continue to take initiatives to improve its services.
5. Thanks the Commissioner of Police of Sabah, DCP Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim who
was present at the dialogue.

Speech by President of Chinese Chamber of Commerce Tawau, Datuk Yap Yew Sin
1. A big thank you to the Commissioner of Police of Sabah, DCP Datuk Noor Rashid
Ibrahim for his willingness to attend the dialogue.
2. A big welcome to all the audience.

Speech by Commissioner of Police of Sabah, DCP Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim

1. The Police Contingent of Sabah has about 7,000 members and is a challenge for him
not only from outside but also internally.
 2. Despite that challenge it is the responsibility of the police to provide the best service
as the time has changed.
3. Before this the public is the client to the police and they could be ignored without
any explanation.
4. Today the public is a state holder in the police force in terms of tax they pay is used
partly for security personnel expenses.
5. Therefore, the state holders, the people, are entitled to ask and respond to police
action.
6. It is the obligation and responsibility of the police to answer and provide feedbacks
to the public.
7. Hence his presence in this dialogue is his responsibilities and obligations rather than
simply taking the time off to be here.
8. He encourages the public to provide comments, complaints and suggestions so that
the police could hear the truth and not just praises.
9. The police will try its best able to act in the best interest of the people.
10. Will give more attention to the request of Tawau and the increase of personnel and
patrol cars will be done.
11. Some of the 260 members who will undergo the police training will also be sent to
Tawau.

Dialogue Session

Dialogue Chairman Lee Chye Ewe informs all those who wish to speak to first introduce
themselves, and given 3 minutes each to speak. Participants are reminded to ask their
question directly without being longwinded with unrelated stories. They may speak in any
language they want as translation is provided.

Edie Lim, Car Salesman

1. Motorcycles are parked at car parks.
2. Mini buses load and unload passengers as they wish along Chester Road
3. Why did many Mercedes Benz and Camry cars were issued with summons?
4. The police should identify all areas in Tawau in order to act promptly on receiving
report from the public.

Wong Nget Vui, Wong Clan Representative

1. Suggests that the police hotline been displayed, to facilitate the public to make
complaints.
2. Requests for increased of patrols to the areas identified with more criminal cases.
3. More Police posts or mobile stations be built or added.

David Ha, Hawker Association Representative

1. There are many mischievous boys who took advantage of committing crimes while
searching for scrap metal.

Tan Li Fah, a Personal Assistant of Sri Tanjung Assemblyman

 1. No news on Jimmy Wong’s assault case at the construction site four years.
2. The Police’s action against abuse of power by security guards (in the General
Hospital of Tawau)
3. Procedure to make a police report
4. The number of criminal cases in Tawau, and the number of cases solved
5. Action against police abuse of power

Leong Yin Fui, Personal Assistant of Sri Tanjung Assemblyman

1. Many operations to weed off the illegal immigrants but their numbers are still
growing, whether the operations are appropriate?
2. Many illegal immigrants do business at the General Market (Tanjung) and Fish
Market.

Muniandy Subramanian, Teacher

1. Asks the police to display statistics of criminal cases
2. Asks the police to provide 2 police personnel in each school to prevent crime from
happening

Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah, Deputy President of Parti Gerakan

1. The police must immediately inform the results of investigations carried out on
several cases of housebreaking which occurred recently.
2. Delay of the police to do so will cause skepticism and fear among the public.

Subramaniam, Resident Taman King Fook

1. Thanks the police for the safety and security improvement with increasing police
patrols.
2. Sad that police does not respect people who are checked for the identity.
3. The police must display the phone number for the convenience of the public to make
complaints.

YB Jimmy Wong, Sri Tanjung State Assemblyman

1. Submits a memorandum of his assault case to the Commissioner of Police of Sabah.
2. The police should provide a period of up to 24 hours for the people to show their
identification.
3. Trucks more than three tons are driving in and out of the fish market area as they
wish.

YB Datuk Chua Soon Bui, Tawau MP

1. Feels that the crime rate statistics reported was lower than actual. There are many
cases not reported due to certain difficulties.
2. Suggest the police to provide a hotline to receive SMS.
3. Ask the police to provide lineup identification.
4. Suggests that a police training center been built in Tawau.

Chinese Chamber of Commerce

1. Steps taken by the police to allow the public to lodge reports more easily.
2. How to encourage more Chinese to join the police force?

Answers and comments of DCP Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim

1. Ignorant of the law is not the excuse committing offences in the case of Mercedes
Benz or Camry owners.
2. Acknowledges that the police working in a district must know each area well.
3. A police report can be made in writing even in China. The police will get the
translation.
4. Police Training Centre in Kota Kinabalu can only accept 260 trainees at any one time.
5. The police will improve the quality of service and serve the public better.
6. The police will be more honest and transparent in conducting the various
investigations and inform the public if not bound by the law.

Answers and comments of ACP Ibrahim Chin, Tawau District Police Chief
1. The door of the Police station is always open and the public is invited to come to to
lodge a complaint, make recommendations or obtain information.
2. Naughty boys looking for scrap metal have been identified and where they lived was
also detected. Action will be taken.
3. Investigation on Jimmy Wong’s assault case is done. Jimmy Wong is requested to
meet for further discussions.
4. Investigation into the case of Tawau General Hospital security guard’s assault on
patient's family is 99% complete and is classified under Section 323 of the Penal
Code.
5. A police report may be made by telephone. District Control Centre is open 24 hours.
6. A police report will be recorded and the translation will be done by the police even
though police does not have full-time translator.
7. Burglary cases have been investigated in a transparent and professional manner and
suspects were charged in court two days ago.
8. The police is working hand in hand with the immigration department on the problem
of illegal immigrants.
9. The authorities are facing problem as they have to wait for consular representative of
the Philippines in Kuala Lumpur to provide certification before these illegal
immigrants can be deported to their country of origin.
10. Hotline number is already displayed but will be added to make it more effective.
11. Lineup identification facilities is already available at Tawau District Police
Headquarters.
12. Welcomes the establishment of voluntary security patrol in residential areas
13. The police does provide the schools with School Communications Officer who will
monitor the problem of crime in schools.
14. Welcomes other organizations to organize such a dialogue so that better
understanding and greater collaboration could be achieved.

Closing remarks by Lee Chye Ewe, Dialogue Chairman

1. Due to the time allocated, not all questions could be entertained or answered in full.
2. The public are advised to visit the police station to lodge their complaints or obtain advice.
3. The public can also obtain further information via the PDRM website at
http://www.sabahrmp.gov.my.
4. Tawau police hotline number is 999 or 772121
5. SMS number DAPAT 32728
6. A big thank you to DCP Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim, ACP Ibrahim Chin and their team to
get closer to the people through this dialogue.
7. A big thank you to all who attended the dialogue organized by the Chinese Chamber of
Commerce Tawau.

Dialogue session ended at 7:30 pm.

Recorded by Lee Chye Ewe, Dialogue Chairman