Don’t ignore security of Sabah’s west coast

MCA is doubtful that the nine drastic measures announced by Chief Minister Musa Aman to secure Sabah will be effective..

KOTA KINABALU: The government and the relevant authorities have been reminded not to ignore security in Sabah’s west coast waters following breaches in the east coast stretch.

MCA National Youth Central Committee member, Stephen Chong said this is so as to prevent another humiliating intrusion and kidnapping incident by foreign intruders.

Citing the dreadful impact of the latest abduction in Silam, Lahad Datu, he said Sabah security needed a more serious overall approach as the state could no longer withstand such a blow,

“Foreigners may no longer be willing to take such risk to visit the state which is famously being promoted as Asia’s hottest emerging travel spot in the list of Agoda.com Asia’s Fresh Destination 2014,” he said.

He said the latest kidnapping incident barely a month after the abduction of a female Chinese tourist and a Filipino worker from Singamata Adventures and Reef Resort, in Semporna, and hardly 24 hours after pirates robbed anglers in waters off Tanjung Labian, was grossly humiliating and insulting to the country’s security.

He said this was especially so, when the government had spent millions of ringgit to establish the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) to ensure a better security in the east coast of Sabah.

“Yet series of kidnapping keep occurring in the short span of time,” he said lamenting Esscom’s ineffectiveness.

Chong thus suggested that perhaps it is time to let the military to take over such the task of protecting Sabah borders.

Choong also expressed doubt over the “Nine Drastic Measures” announced by State Security Committee chairman and Chief Minister Musa Aman.

“There will always be implementation and coordination issue for any new and untested measures.I am doubtful the nine drastc measures will be a deterent,” he said.

He also urged the State Government not to neglect the security of the Sabah’s west coast especially the beaches and waterfront areas around the state capital, citing the presence of large number of immigrants with some of them engaging in such illegal activities like fish bombing, smuggling, trafficking of contrabands.

He especially called on the authorities concerned to take action against illegal vessels which encroached into the west coast, in order to ensure the safety of tourists visiting nearby premier resorts.

FMT Borneo Plus