KUDAT: A new Remote Sensor Site (RSS) will be built on Pulau Malawali, Banggi to strengthen enforcement capabilities against intrusions and cross-border threats in northern Sabah.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said RM88 million has been allocated under the 13th Malaysia Plan for the project, stressing the need to keep security assets and operations in step with evolving challenges, particularly along illegal “rat routes” at the Malaysia–Philippines border.
“The government is confident that an integrated approach and advanced technology will further enhance on-ground enforcement to safeguard national borders, economic interests and public wellbeing,” he said.
The government has also approved redevelopment of the Kudat Maritime Zone operations office costing RM73.5 million, along with the acquisition of 10 fast boats to improve patrol efficiency in Sabah waters.
Saifuddin said this after inspecting operations along Sabah’s northwest coast and visiting the RSS on Pulau Balambangan on Thursday.
He noted that the Balambangan RSS detects about 70 percent of suspicious targets, or roughly 6,000 cases annually.
Since 2015, it has recorded over 152,000 detections, leading to 260 arrests, including 21 Filipinos, as well as seizures of foreign fishing boats and thwarted smuggling of wildlife and controlled goods.
He added the area remains a hotspot for cross-border crimes, including smuggling, illegal immigration and maritime encroachment.
