A 43-year-old longhouse man was arrested after allegedly shooting dead a 69-year-old neighbour in Julau

KUCHING: Sarawak police have taken a 43-year-old longhouse resident into custody after he allegedly shot and killed a neighbour during a confrontation witnessed by fellow residents at their longhouse along Sungai Minus Entabai in Julau district.

The fatal incident took place at approximately 11am on Tuesday, and the suspect was apprehended by the Julau police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team just over two hours later, at around 1.35pm on the same day.

Julau district police chief Deputy Superintendent Alif Haiqal Ramesh Abdullah confirmed the arrest in a statement, identifying the victim as a 69-year-old farmer.

He said that based on preliminary investigations, the altercation was triggered after the victim reportedly took issue with the suspect handling a shotgun.

“Initial reports indicated that the suspect had subsequently approached the victim while armed with a shotgun. The suspect was said to have fired the single-barrel shotgun, loaded with a cartridge, at the victim at close range,” he said.

Members of the victim’s family transported him to Nanga Entiah clinic for emergency treatment, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Police recovered a shotgun, multiple rounds of ammunition, and used cartridges from the scene. The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

The use of shotguns among longhouse communities in Sarawak is not uncommon, as such firearms have traditionally been used for hunting.

While licensed ownership is required under Malaysian law, authorities have acknowledged that unlicensed firearms — including improvised weapons and those believed to have been brought across the border illegally — remain a concern in some rural areas in East Malaysia.

Whether the firearm used in this incident was properly licensed has not been confirmed by police and is expected to form part of the ongoing investigation.

 The Sun Malaysia