Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi

KUCHING (May 20): Vandalism of public property and facilities in Kuching North City Hall’s (DBKU) area has reached a worrisome level, said Utility and Telecommunication Deputy Minister II, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.

Dr Abdul Rahman, who is in-charge of DBKU, said since 2020 until now, the losses from vandalism has amounted to about RM332,000.

The vandalism, he said, included damage to manhole covers, road signs, river bridge railings and sidewalks, bus stop seats and roofs, garden lights and street lights; burning of  trees, benches in public parks and rubbish bins, and theft of flowers and decorations.

He lamented that the popular Hornbill Fountain at the Kuching Waterfront was also vandalised on May 12,  when detergent powder was poured into its pool causing it to foam and damage the fountain’s equipment.

“This kind of destructive behavior is very worrying and affects the beauty of Kuching City.

In this regard, he said a special meeting between DBKU, the police, the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) and Dayacop Security, a private security firm, was held to discuss the problem.

“We have reached an agreement to address vandalism in the hotspot locations by irresponsible parties,” he told a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) lobby here today.

Dr Abdul Rahman urged the public to work together to eradicate such irresponsible acts.

He said the public must be aware that the losses will have to be tackled with revenue from the collection of assessment tax of each household under DBKU, and the revenue could be utilised to provide various facilities and services for the common well-being of the people.

He appealed to the public, especially city dwellers, to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the authorities in helping to address the issue, adding that they can report cases immediately to DBKU or the police.

He warned that those found guilty of vandalism can be charged and punished under Section 426, Penal Code (Act 574).

“Whoever commits such an offence shall be punished with imprisonment of up to five years, or fine, or both,” he added.