KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — The police have called 48 witnesses, including four officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), to record statements to assist in the investigation of the kidnapping case of Datin Seri Pamela Ling Yueh.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said close cooperation was also carried out with enforcement agencies, including the MACC, to ensure a thorough investigation.
“Cooperation was made with related agencies, including the Immigration Department, for example, the vehicle said to be used (to kidnap Pamela) was found in the northern border of Bukit Kayu Hitam-Thailand.
“This is only believed, not confirmed,” he said while wrapping up the 13th Malaysia Plan motion for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He also said the police investigate every report of kidnapping or missing persons according to the standard operating procedures (SOP) set and based on the rule of law.
Saifuddin Nasution said according to police data and records, in every 10 missing person cases, nine were successfully found, including those alive and those who had died.
“Specifically, this missing person incident, in terms of data, does not give an alarming picture of the level (of public safety), but we cannot take a denial syndrome attitude because if it involves lives, it is important from the police perspective, and we use all our strength to overcome it,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of national border security, he said the authorities detected 71 illegal routes for smuggling activities along the Sarawak, Malaysia border with Kalimantan, Indonesia, including hot spots in Ba’kelalan, Lubuk Antu, and Tebedu.
The government, he said, had approved an allocation of RM28 million to the Ministry of Home Affairs to develop seven additional security control posts, including Pos Raso 1 in Lundu, Pos Sapit in Padawan, and Pos Tepoi in Serian.
“The government also approved an additional allocation of RM64.318 million under the special Sarawak border development allocation, which will be utilised by the General Operations Force (PGA) Brigade Sarawak for the implementation of 22 projects involving 14 non-physical projects and eight physical projects,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution said, in addition, to strengthen border control in Sarawak, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) established another PGA Brigade Sarawak battalion, namely Battalion 23 in Seri Aman, as an addition to the existing three battalions, involving an increase of 320 personnel consisting of senior police officers, junior officers, and civil servants.
