No excuse to keep bakakuk, warn police

District Police Chief DSP Zahari Mohamed has called for co-operation from all Village Development and Security chairmen and village chiefs to track down individuals who possess homemade shotgun locally known as ‘bakakuk’.

He said the community leaders must fulfill their responsibility by informing the police if they knew of anyone having such weapon so that action could be taken.

He warned that police will not entertain the excuse for having ‘bakakuk’ as due to the difficulty in obtaining a firearms licence. And for any community leader who has knowledge of this about anyone but withholds the information, is considered an accomplice and will face similar consequences under law.

Zahari said this in relation to an incident on Feb 18 when a Sabah Parks staff who was on routine patrol in the park area spotted two unidentified men who were each holding a homemade shotgun while hunting.

Realising the presence of the former, the men threw their weapons and fled. The park staff recovered the shotguns and handed them to the police.

Police are still searching for the two men.

Zahari added that he will seek an approval from the State Police Commissioner to allow villagers to surrender their ‘bakakuks’ without any action being taken against them.

He said if this is granted villagers will have nothing to fear.