Quality intelligence, monitoring of migrant communities
Published on: Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Police and the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) chiefs have come up with plans to enhance security measures especially with focus on areas under the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone), with emphasis on gathering quality intelligence. The measures were decided during a meeting among a group of officers led by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim (pic) together with the Internal Security and Public Order Department, State Police Commissioner and Esscom officers at the State police headquarters, here, Monday. "We discussed actions which will be taken to ensure Esscom areas can be well controlled to prevent intrusion from outside and to ensure the level of security in the area is always at its best," said Noor Rashid during a media conference.
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"We also called district police chiefs in Esszone and explained the necessary steps which need to be taken by them, to ensure control in their police stations is at its level best. "Focus is also given on gathering quality intelligence in order for us to take proactive actions to address security issues in Sabah, especially in Esszone," he said. Noor Rashid did not reveal further except that first, focus is on looking into the best coordination between Esscom and the State General Operations Force Brigade with assistance from the General Operations Force Brigade in Sarawak and the peninsula. "At the same time, we reminded district police chiefs and the Special Branch to step up efforts in gathering intelligence which will then be evaluated.
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"Apart from that we want to ensure patrols are well planned, we also discussed matters involving operations, focusing especially on those who enter this country illegally," he said. He said analysis will be done based on the results from the operations, and these will act as the guideline in future operations.
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He also said that the existing curfew order is still relevant and needs to be continued, adding that it will be assessed by the State Police Commissioner from time to time to see if there was a need to for it to be extended or for the period to be shorten or lengthened. "The decision will be made based on what is best for the people's interest, security interest and interest State's economy," he said. On another note, he said there has been no latest development on the kidnapping cases which took place in the State. He also said that they have re-examined their deployment following the latest kidnapping incident which took place in Kertam waters, off Kuala Kinabatangan, Sandakan, earlier this month. "I do not deny that it took place during the day, and following the incident, we have re-examined and improved our deployment system and how we work to ensure it does not happen again," he said. "Our investigations do not show that it was staged or planned as alleged, for now, we act based on existing information and we consider this as a genuine incident," he said, adding that there has been no demand for ransom so far. He also said there could be a possibility that those already inside the State were involved in several kidnappings."We know that there are those who enter this country illegally and are versed with the ways of people here and the geographical state of the land."They have relations to those from the other side, there is a possibility for them to be informants. Thus, we have decided to take action against illegal immigrants by stages. "This depends on the capabilities of not only the police, we also have look into other considerations, for example, if the Immigration detention centre is full or not," he said. Several kidnapping incidents have been reported in the east coast of Sabah over the years, the latest involving the kidnapping of an Indonesian skipper of a trawler boat by a group of armed men in Kertam waters on Aug 3. The Indonesian skipper has been identified as 30-year-old Herman Mangga, and his two crew, 22-year-old Arianto Basruddin, also an Indonesian and 26-year-old local Muhamadin Duratin.Based on the statements taken from the two crew, they were trawling in Malaysian waters at about 4pm on Aug 3, after coming down from Sandakan waters at about 6.30am on July 31. They were approached by a pump boat with four men, three of them armed.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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