THIS year, Sarawak was rocked by shocking shooting incidents that claimed lives and left more injured.
From fatal attacks in small areas to broad daylight shootings in busy areas, the threat of firearms continues to loom over communities.
The growing concern has sparked urgent calls for stricter enforcement against illegal firearms and harsher penalties for offenders.
Below are some of the cases that rocked the state with two of them occurring in Sibu and one each in Padawan, Song, Miri and Bintulu.
Literal “bang bang” on New Year’s Day in Sibu
On Jan 1, Sarawakians were shocked to learn that three men were injured after being shot by two unknown gunmen at an eatery along Jalan Wong King Hou at around 4.55pm.
Investigations revealed that the gunmen, who arrived at the scene on separate motorcycles, approached the victims, aged between 27 and 33, who were drinking with friends.
Both suspects fired at the group before fleeing the scene.
All three injured victims were rushed to a private hospital for further treatment and they were reportedly in stable condition.
Police have since classified the case under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder. The motive is still under investigation.
On July 25, Billy Harris Wee Abdullah, 25, who was arrested on July 3, claimed trial in the Sessions Court to a charge of attempted murder in the shooting.
Billy was among four men arrested here on July 3, while a fifth man was arrested on July 4 in Johor.
On July 17, the other four men were released on bail with one surety each after they became prosecution witnesses.
Trio wounded by shotgun behind Padawan supermarket
In the wee hours of July 8, three friends were left injured in a shooting incident behind a supermarket along Mile 19, Jalan Kuching-Serian.
Padawan police received a report of the 1.57am incident from a 26-year-old man, who is a friend of the trio.
The victims, aged 24 and 25, are in stable condition after receiving treatment at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
Police have since arrested three suspects in connection with the incident and are still searching for three more suspects. The motive is still under investigation.
Foreigner killed in private Niah oil palm estate
On July 29 at around 8pm, a 40-year-old foreign man was found dead with gunshot wounds inside a private oil palm estate in Sepupok, Niah.
Paramedics found multiple gunshot wounds to the deceased’s neck, face, body and stomach, which is suspected to be inflicted by a shotgun.
Two months later, on Sept 10, Miri police managed to arrest a local man, in his 20s in connection with the murder of a foreigner in Sepupok.
Also seized from the suspect is a homemade firearm, locally known as a ‘bakakok’, believed to be used in the crime.
Police are investigating the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Soldier in training mistakenly shot in Song
This incident, which caught the eyes of the country and also rattled trust in the very people sworn to protect the public, took place on Sept 23 in Song, Kapit.
A soldier with the rank of Corporal was shot and one of the suspects arrested was not an ordinary criminal but a police officer.
The incident occurred when 29-year-old Petrus Linggi Liman was hit by a random gunshot around 2.45am during a training exercise in a forested area near Jalan Multipass Link.
He sustained injuries to his waist and liver and was rushed to Kapit Hospital, but was pronounced dead at 7.43am while receiving treatment.
According to the police, the detained suspects were allegedly involved in illegal hunting in the area. One of them is said to have fired the shot that killed the soldier, mistaking him for a wild animal.
It is believed that they panicked and fled the scene on motorcycle after hearing the victim scream in pain from the shot, realising it was not an animal.
The Malaysian Armed Force (MAF) also confirmed that the victim was undergoing an Exercise PASAK BUMI (EPB) around Kanowit-Nanga Dap-Song from Sept 21 to 29.
Bullet hits man waiting in car near Sibu school
On Oct 24, a man sustained a wound on his right shoulder when he was shot in his car near a school in Jalan Wong King Huo.
The attack, carried out in broad daylight, terrified parents and students in the area. No one expected such violence to unfold outside a school gate.
The 46-year-old victim was allegedly shot through the windshield of his car while he was waiting to pick up his son from the school.
A single bullet hole is seen on the front windshield of the victim’s vehicle.
Following the fired shot, the gunman fled and the victim opened the car door to call for help. He collapsed in the bushes by the side of the road moments later.
A nearby security guard, who initially mistook the sound of the gunshot for a vehicle’s tyre bursting, quickly realised the seriousness of the situation when bystanders saw the injured man lying by the roadside.
Man shot, slashed to death at Bintulu hotel car park
This incident, which took place on Nov 7 at around 11.40pm, also drew national attention as photos and CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media.
Based on the CCTV footage, it depicted two men shooting and chasing the 36-year-old victim before repeatedly attacking him with a machete.
Police identified the deceased as Peter Ling Deng Sing from Sibu. The motive behind the murder is still under investigation.
At the time of the attack, Ling was staying at the hotel when he was fatally shot and repeatedly slashed at the fourth-floor car park of a hotel.
The two suspects – a local and a Bruneian aged 36 and 43 – were arrested in Miri a few hours after the shooting. Two more individuals are still at large and efforts are underway to locate and arrest them.
On Nov 21, Malaysian Eric Tiong Huong Yew, 36, and Bruneian Alvin Chong Han Khiong, 43, were charged at the Magistrates’ Court in Bintulu with the murder of Ling.
The court has set Dec 24 for case mention. Both were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Owning a firearm is no small matter
In Malaysia, owning a firearm without proper authorisation can destroy lives – not just those of the victims but also the offenders. Under the Arms Act 1960, anyone caught with an unlicensed firearm can face up to seven years in jail or a fine of up to RM10,000.
Things can go even worse if a firearm is discharged with intent to harm. The Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 allows for the death penalty. Even carrying a gun while committing a crime can land a person in prison for life, along with mandatory whipping.
The laws do not stop there as under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, it is illegal to carry dangerous weapons in public. Anyone caught faces imprisonment and whipping.
As the drapes are closing on the year, one question remains – How many more lives must be lost before the threat of gun violence is taken seriously?
