KL won't cover up shooting of Thais

KL won't cover up shooting of Thais

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's Defense Minister Syed Hamid Albar yesterday promised an unbiased probe into the fatal shooting of two Thai fishermen by the navy, saying he hoped the incident would not hurt bilateral ties.

"We will not try to cover up any form of action taken by the navy in the incident," Syed Hamid was reported by Bernama news agency as saying on his return from a week-long visit to Johannesburg.

A Royal Malaysian Navy patrol craft fired warning shots at a 20-ton Thai fishing boat off the northeastern state of Trengganu, last Monday, hitting two of its seven-member crew -- the boat captain and a 14-year old boy.

The other five crew members were detained and charged in court for illegal trawling in Malaysian waters.