KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — A coalition of local rights groups today demanded that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) be established to investigate the efficacy of Sabah’s security zone, following confusion here over whether the Filipino militants responsible for the “Sibu 4” kidnappings were paid millions of ringgit in ransom.

In a statement, the Plan of Action for Malaysia (PoAM) coalition said the recent fiasco and the string of kidnappings that took place after the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (EssZone) was set up indicated the organisation’s weakness in border defence and hostage crisis management.

“We, the following organisations, call for the establishment of a RCI to probe the effectiveness and hostage crisis management in Sabah, following the latest mishandling of the ‘Sibu 4’ hostage crisis, which involves public and family contribution of RM12 million.

“An RCI is necessary to look at both how to improve our marine security and handling of hostage crisis in Sabah,” said the coalition in the statement.

The group said the RCI would also help clear the confusion over the whereabouts of the RM12 million — which was raised through public donations and the mortgaging of properties belonging to the families of the four hostages — by establishing fact and proving there was no foul play in the negotiations for release.

“It (RCI) also needs to study how the threat of hostage-for-money terrorism can be curbed, by not just improving our military and police surveillance, but also through international cooperation and religious preaching against deviant teaching that kidnapping civilians for money is acceptable.

“Malaysians cannot be treated as ATM machines by terrorists with some ‘charity body’ as their agent,” the coalition said.

The whereabouts of the RM12 million remains a mystery as Malaysian government officials have repeatedly denied that any ransom was paid while the hostages’ families insist that they had handed the money over to the police.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has acknowledged police had received money from the families and said it was given it to certain Philippine welfare agencies while Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, however, claimed the police never received the funds as it was handed directly to an unknown “third party” that helped to negotiate the release of the hostages.

“While we cheer for the release and safety of the hostages, the whereabouts of the RM 12 million has been given so many contradictory statements by the authorities — Who is telling the truth, the home minister or the IGP?

“The outright refusal of the IGP yesterday to investigate the channelling of the RM12 million in public donations to a Philippines organisation will only reinforces public suspicions of an attempt of cover-up,” the coalition said.

The group also called on the suspension of the two while investigations by the royal panel conducts its probe on the matter.

The Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) is a security area that covers 1,400 km of the east coast of Sabah from Kudat to Tawau that was established in March 2013.

Despite its formation, militants from the notorious Abu Sayyaf terror network operating out of southern Philippines continued their kidnapping spree, with incidents in April and May 2014, and May 2015. In November, Malaysian Bernard Then was beheaded by the terrorists.

The latest kidnapping on April 1 was of four Malaysian sailors who were taken from a commercial barge, MV Massive 6, in the waters off Pulau Ligitan while returning to Tawau, Sabah, after sending a cargo of wood to Manila. They were released on June 8.

“Clearly, the ESSZONE which cost Malaysians RM 1.3 billion so far has not been effective,” the coalition said.

PoAM consists of 38 special interest and civil liberties groups including Aliran, Anak Muda Sarawak, All Women’s Action Society, BERSIH 2.0, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism,  Institute for Development of Alternative Living,  IKRAM,  Islamic Renaissance Front,  JIHAD for JUSTICE, Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia and Malaysian Indian Progressive Association.