KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — The Sabah state government has decided to impose strict curfews on parts of the state following a pre-dawn abduction of a Chinese businessman in Lahad Datu, state Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said today.
Musa said he called an emergency meeting of Sabah’s State Security Committee (JKNN) today after hearing of the abduction, adding that they decided on “drastic measures” to secure public safety, including the setting up of control areas where entry would be restricted.
“Whoever who enters the controlled areas would need to get approval and permits from the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM),” Musa said in a statement today, adding that the police will provide further details.
The committee will also enforce curfews “in risky areas where no movements are allowed” and the police will monitor the areas , Musa said.
The statement did identify the areas under curfew. It also did not state the hours of the curfew.
Musa, who is also chairman of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), said in high-risk areas, with boats and ships only allowed to use approved, designated routes.
Other measures include boosting security forces with more speedboats deployed in high-risk areas.
Musa said the “mother ship” concept would be used, where a mid-sea platform or hub would be used to allow for quicker and cheaper refueling of speedboats.
He added that a base would be set up at a strategic spot to monitor the safety of Sabah’s coast.
To ensure that all security agencies receive prompt information, ESSCOM’s communication channels and standard operating procedures will also be improved immediately, he said.
ESSCOM, which was set up to coordinate security in the east coast of Sabah following an intrusion by Sulu gunmen in February 2013, started operating on April 1 the same year.
Under ESSCOM, the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agencies (MMEA) work together to ensure security in Sabah’s porous borders.
At 2.45am this morning, a Chinese citizen working at a fish farm in Lahad Datu, in the eastern part of the state, was reportedly abducted by a group of gunmen suspected to be Filipino.
Barely a month ago, a Chinese national was kidnapped from a resort near near Semporna, also on the eastern part of Sabah. A Filipina working on the resort was also abducted.
The two women, 29-year-old Chinese tourist Gao Hua Yuan and 40-year-old Filipino resort employee Marcy Dayawan, have been held hostages by a group of gunmen believed to be Filipino militants since April 2.
