A Sarawak backbencher today proposed to the government to mobilise the armed forces to support the police in combatting gangsterism in that state.

"Sarawak is lawless and in disorder with jungle laws," charged Jawah Anak Gerang (Lubok Antu-BN) in Dewan Rakyat.

He said that gangsterism was rampant in that state, giving it the appearance as though it was a lawless state.

"Where are our police force and laws? Do we still have that?" he asked.

He wanted to know what was the government doing to stop this growing gangsterism menace in Sarawak.

In a written reply, the Deputy Minister of Internal Security Johari Baharom said that the Sarawak police had been quite successful in nabbing the gangsters.

He added that about 131 gangsters have been detained under the Emergency Ordinance, adding that the police were finding it hard to get evidence to charge these gangsters in court.

As such, he said, the nabbed gangsters were detained under the Emergency Ordinance for a period of two years in the Simpang Renggam Rehabilitation Centre in Johor.

Small-time gangsters are also exiled to the other parts of the country as their punishment.

"The police's mechanism to curb gangsterism is effective. If eye-witnesses come forward to help the police by giving evidence in the court, surely appropriate punishment could be meted out to these criminals in accordance to their crimes," he said.

He however made no response to the suggestions of sending in the army to fight gangsterism in Sarawak but revealed that the Cabinet yesterday agreed to build more police stations and place more police personnel in problematic areas.