KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 ― PKR leaders expressed their shock at the fatal shooting of their Miri division secretary Bill Kayong this morning, lamenting the loss of a “good comrade” who was a “fearless” fighter against all forms of discrimination and injustice.

PKR’s national women’s wing chief Zuraida Kamaruddin also raised alarms over gun ownership in the country in the wake of the “cold-blooded murder” of Kayong.

“We urge that the police seriously look into the illegal possession of armed weapons and how unsafe the Malaysia is now,” the Kuantan MP said in a statement.

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian noted the 43-year-old who ran for Bekenu in last month’s state polls but failed to win the seat had been a passionate defender of native rights.

“Bill was a vocal activist for the natives of Sarawak, fearless in his passion about native land rights. He was a young man zealously pursuing justice for the people and was very outspoken against any kind of discrimination or unfairness in our society,” Baru said in a separate statement.

“We are waiting for details about this heinous crime and I urge the police to be relentless in their investigations so that the culprits can be brought to justice,” he added.

Both Baru and Kamaruddin extended their condolences to Kayong's family.

Sarawak Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Dev Kumar confirmed Kayong was killed in a drive-by shooting in Miri this morning by an unknown assailant using a shotgun.

The police are investigating the killing under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.