The police have mounted a special operation, including the setting up of roadblocks, in Kuching and other towns to hunt down gangsters in Sarawak.

Those involved in the operation have been ordered to use their guns if necessary should any suspect attempt to escape the roadblock or resist arrest, a source told malaysiakini .

There are 16 known secret societies with more than 300 members throughout Sarawak.

Following the recent directive from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also internal security minister, the police are determined to come down hard on the underworld.

It is learnt that the special operation is assisted by personnel from the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

The operation was ordered after Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan visited Kuching and Sibu following complaints raised in Parliament by Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing.

Tiong had claimed that gangsters controlled certain trades, including the sale of essential goods such as sugar and eggs as well as rubber and even the passenger fares on express boats.

He also accused secret societies of being involved in illegal logging and revealed that the locals were living in great fear.

Since then, Sibu police have already arrested the leader of the notorious Hua Kee triad, Wong Leh Yin.

Numerous quarters have urged the police not to place those arrested under the Emergency Ordinance or Restricted Residence but charge them in an open court.

"Many known gang members have gone into hiding and some are believed to have gone out of the state since the heat is on," a source told malaysiakini .

Enough manpower

Commenting on the special operation, DAP Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen welcomed it but expressed hope that it would not be a 'five minute' thing.

He said the police have enough manpower but only 20 percent was allocated to fighting crime.

The opposition leader also said that corruption in the police force and economic reasons were among the factors behind the surge in criminal activities.

"Although I am not trying to use this particular reason as any justification for anyone to commit crime, it seems that lucrative jobs or contracts only go to certain politicians and their supporters to the extent that the ordinary people do not have opportunities," he added.

Meanwhile, Tiong is now being heralded as a hero back home for being brave enough to speak up against gangsterism.

However, his hard-hitting remarks in Parliament appear to have slighted certain quarters, including Sarawak police chief Talib Jamal.

In Parliament, Tiong had demanded for the transfer of the police chief but later explained that his criticisms were targeted at the post and not the person holding it.

His explanation, however, was not enough to ensure the attendance of the police chief at a public forum on Friday on the subject of crime.

Talib, who said he had a police function to attend, sent his senior CID officers to participate in the forum, which was also attended by Tiong.