SUNDAY-9TH DECEMBER 2007-INANAM, MENGGATAL AMONG ACCIDENT-PRONE AREAS

Inanam, Menggatal among accident-prone areas
KOTA KINABALU:
Inanam and Menggatal are among the areas listed as accident-prone areas here with over half of the fatal mishaps happening in these two places. As of November, of the 36 deaths in the City, 22 people were killed in accidents in Inanam and Menggatal. Acting City Traffic and Public Order Chief, ASP Mohd Nordin Mohd Noor, in disclosing this yesterday, said 11 of those fatal accidents involved pedestrians. “This is unique in Sabah; normally in other states pedestrians are the lowest in the list of victims in mishaps but over here, they made up the bulk of it,” he said in response to a question on the frequent mishaps in Menggatal and nearby areas by a resident during a crime prevention dialogue at the Menggatal community hall, Saturday. A resident had voiced out his concern over the big number of mishaps taking place in the areas, asking whether it was due to the lack of enforcement or the bad road conditions. Mohd Nordin explained that over 80 per cent of the time, motorists were to be blamed for the mishaps. “Most of the mishaps occurred because of the attitude of motorists. There were many instances when they were found driving under the influence of alcohol.” He stressed that the road conditions or enforcement aspect should not be blamed for the situation. “The enforcement cannot look after the safety of every motorist all the time. There were many occasions where we found drivers only putting on their seatbelts when they spotted the police or during roadblocks. This shows that they are more worried about getting booked rather than looking after their safety,” he said. As a solution to this, Mohd Nordin said they are creating an awareness among the young people on the importance of road safety. “Frankly, it is hard to tell older motorists to change their attitude but it is not too late to instil a sense of responsibility in the young …we hope they will learn and abide by traffic regulations at all times,” he said. On another issue, Mohd Nordin said the police are trying their best to ensure that the people’s needs are met. He was responding to a comment by a Telipok resident who felt the City Police had failed to do a follow-up on a report he lodged in August. The complainant said the thieves not only carted his belongings away but also parts of the house like the zinc roofs and planks. “Since the day I made the report, I have not been informed if it has been solved ... it is preferably we are informed on the progress of the investigation,” he added.
Acting City Police Chief, Superintendent Rowell Marong, who led the dialogue, later responded that he does not deny the police have its weaknesses. “But sometimes my personnel could fail to understand the gravity of the crime and subsequently the matter did not reach the higher ups,” he said, adding that he understands the public’s frustrations but the police are trying their best even with very limited manpower. He also urged the public to understand the problems they face and be patient. Also present at the dialogue were CID Senior Investigating Officer II, ASP Mohd Nazri Abd Razak , City Marine Police Commanding Officer, ASP Fauzi Ibrahim, City Anti-Narcotics chief, ASP Abd Halim Ahmad and Commercial Crime Department investigating officer Chief Inspector Abang Faizal.