THE Sarawak government’s policy allows the inheritance of shotguns provided that the firearms have been re-registered and applicants have passed a safety and health screening.
Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Native Laws and Customs) Datuk Jefferson Jamit said the state government only allows shotguns to be inherited from parents by their sons or daughters.
“The Sarawak government is always concerned and aware about the issue of shotgun ownership among individuals to ensure safety of the community in general is guaranteed and preserved,” he said in reply to Nicholas Kudi (GPS-Baleh) during the question-and-answer session today.
Nicholas had asked if when the inherited family member has no children or legal heirs, the shotgun can be passed on to other relatives, given that shotguns are heirlooms of the Dayak community.
To Nicholas’s supplementary question on the number of shotgun owners in Sarawak and in Kapit, Jefferson said there are 45,568 shotgun owners in Sarawak is, with Kapit along having 5,626 shotgun owners.
