KOTA KINABALU, Nov 5 — Community cooperation and compliance with the Movement Control Order (MCO) in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESS Zone) waters are essential for ensuring safety in the area, said Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) commander Datuk Victor Sanjos.
As such, he said that ESSCom conducted engagement sessions with the community in the ESS Zone, which resulted in stronger ties between security forces and the locals, thereby improving information gathering about cross-border crimes.
“The residents, particularly the maritime community and fishermen, have shown excellent cooperation and compliance with the order. ESSCom, through the Royal Malaysia Police, the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, consistently conducts engagement sessions with the locals.
“We also conducted regular enforcement activities among the residents, which include island and coastal dwellers, researchers, coastal fishermen, as well as local and foreign tourists, to ensure their compliance with the guidelines and regulations set by the authorities in the ESS Zone,” he told Bernama.
Victor added that from January 2021 until Sept 30 this year, a total of 45,243 MCO exemption permits were issued specifically for fishermen conducting fishing activities beyond three nautical miles from the coastline.
The ESS Zone MCO, previously known as curfew orders, was introduced in 2014 to combat cross-border crimes following the Tanduo Tragedy in 2013.
On Oct 16, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain reportedly said that the Home Ministry, the National Security Council and the Sabah government have agreed to rebrand the dusk-to-dawn curfew in eastern Sabah waters as ESS Zone MCO and exclude Tawau from its implementation.
Following the move, the ESS Zone MCO now only involves the waters of three nautical miles in the districts of Sandakan, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Beluran and Kinabatangan, from 6pm to 6am, effective Oct 17.
Victor stressed that even after a decade since its establishment, Esscom remained committed to preventing the second wave of foreign intrusions and militant infiltrations in Sabah, especially within the ESS Zone waters.
He said ESSCom also coordinated operations involving all security agencies in the ESS Zone through Ops Sanggah, which aimed to tackle cross-border crimes, prevent illegal immigrant entries, dismantle illegal structures used as transit points or hideouts, and stop fish bombing activities.
The agency has also conducted its own operations, including nine series of integrated operations, sea patrols and special joint operations in collaboration with various federal and state agencies, from the beginning of this year until September, he added.
“ESSCom actively collaborates with the Western Mindanao Command, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and the Indonesian National Police. It also participates in various initiatives outlined in the Malaysia-Indonesia-Philippines trilateral cooperation agreement,” he said.
Victor added the cooperation was aimed at coordinating enforcement efforts at sea, information exchange and ensuring the safety of the waters across all three countries from cross-border crimes.
In the meantime, ESSCom, an agency under the Home Ministry, plans to improve security forces’ control in the ESS Zone through infrastructure development, tactical asset acquisition and human resources enhancement.
Some of the initiatives include constructing the Poirgon Post in Kalabakan through the 12th Malaysia Plan overseen by the General Operations Force (GOF), improving border surveillance with the Malaysian Maritime Surveillance System (Swasla) and acquiring tactical assets such as floating boats in Sungai Aji Kuning, Pulau Sebatik, and high-speed boats positioned along the coast and waters of Tawau.
Viktor said deploying a unit from the 14th Battalion of the GOF in Tawau was a strategic move to enhance security along the Malaysia-Indonesia border. It signifies the first stage in strengthening border control, before setting up a full GOF battalion in Nabawan, Keningau and Kunak.
“There are also proposals to acquire unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and remote cameras operated by ESSCom to detect and monitor suspicious targets,” he said. — Bernama
