Assessing readiness of Esscom

Lahad Datu: The Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) has assigned six monitoring teams to assess the preparedness of its security posts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).Esscom Commander Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun said the teams comprising police, army and maritime personnel began their task on Saturday (July 26).

He said the teams would visit all the posts, including those located on the islands.

"Alhamdulillah the morale of our personnel based in Esszone has remained high despite having to work and being away from their families during Aidilfitri.

"Please pray for the safety of our security forces and for everything to go well in our duty to safeguard the country's sovereignty, security and peace," he said in a statement here Wednesday.

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Abdul Rashid said the number of teams would probably be reduced after Hari Raya as the personnel also had other duties to do in Esscom.

The Esszone encompasses Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Tawau and Semporna.

Authorities have enforced a dusk-to-dawn curfew in waters off six east coast districts following a spate of security incidents there, the latest being the attack on a marine police unit in Pulau Mabul on July 12.

Marine police Kpl Ab Rajah Jamuan, 32, was shot dead and his colleague Kons Zakiah Aleip, 26, was abducted when gunmen attacked them at the Mabul Water Bungalows Resort.

It was the latest security incident in Sabah since last Nov 15 when Taiwanese Chang An Wei, 58, was abducted and her husband Li Min Hsu, 57, killed at the Pom Pom Island Resort.

Chang was freed after 36 days of captivity in the southern Philippines island of Jolo.

On April 2, Chinese tourist Gao Huayun, 29, and Filipino hotel worker Marcy Dayawan, 40, were taken from the Singamata Reef Resort near Semporna.

On May 6, Chinese national Yang Zailin, 34, was abducted from the fish farm he was managing at Pulau Baik in Lahad Datu.

Gunmen struck again on June 16 at a fish farm in Kampung Sapang, Kunak, and abducted its manager Chan Sai Chuin, 32.

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Gao and Dayawan were released by their Abu Sayyaf captors on May 30 while Yang was freed on July 9.

Chan and Kons Zakiah, however, remain in the hands of their captors.

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