Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar today reminded police not to protect and abet any party involved in illegal logging activities in Sarawak.

He said the police must maintain the integrity and reputation of the department as well as look out for their own safety.

According to him, Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem was serious in addressing the issue of illegal logging in Sarawak as it had caused the state to lose hundreds of millions of ringgit.

He was speaking to reporters after the presentation ceremony of the ‘Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara’ (PJPN) medals by Adenan in Sibu.

A total of 221 former policemen who served during the three emergency periods between 1948 and 1990 received the PJPN medal.

Topping the list of recipients is former Sarawak Police Commissioner Yusoff Nook who is now State Security Unit director in the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Department.

Wan Junaidi said people who became victims of crime must not be afraid to make a police report immediately so that action could be taken.

The federal government would be confering the PJPN  award to all 168,000 former policemen nationwide, who had served during the three emergency periods between 1948 and 1990 in appreciation of their heroism, sacrifice and service to the country, he said.

In another development, he said, the police were now involved in efforts to combat cyber gambling activities in Sibu and this year alone, there were 169 raids conducted and 74 cases brought to court.

He said the number of raids this year was five times more than the total number of raids carried out last year.

- Bernama