KOTA KINABALU (17 Okt) – Frequent training is what keeps security forces in the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) at the leading edge of combat capabilities, its chief Hazani Ghazali said.

Esscom is tasked with the security of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone), a 1,700km-long special security area along the east coast of Sabah that borders crime-prone southern Philippines.

Formed after the 2013 armed intrusion into Lahad Datu by militants of the so-called Sulu Sultanate from the neighbouring nation, Esscom has significantly boosted security along the coastline.

The command has also drastically brought down maritime crimes such as kidnapping and piracy, which used to be rampant in the Sulu and Celebes seas.

“We are happy to say that no acts of piracy and kidnapping happened in the Esszone so far this year thanks to the vigilance of our troops and and cooperation of citizens,” Hazani told FMT.

“We don’t compromise with the state’s security, so we are doing everything we can to increase our capabilities to tackle elements of crime and terrorism that approach our country.

“Our secret is that we frequently train and rehearse so that when the time comes, we’re ready for action. That is why we constantly keep our troops at the leading edge of combat capabilities.”

The United States and Malaysia last month conducted Exercise Tiger Strike 2017, a bilateral training exercise intended to increase combat readiness, as well as help plan and execute amphibious operations.

This was the fourth time that the exercise was conducted by the two nations.

The latest exercise was held in Tanduo, Lahad Datu, which was deemed to be a suitable location, because Tanduo was at the centre of the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff.

“We just completed the Tiger Strike exercise, a joint-training with the US Army special forces group, the elite and famous Green Beret,” said Hazani.

“The amphibious exposure we learned from them was perfect for coastal operations like in the Esszone.”

Another training initiative is expected to be held in Sri Lanka to boost Esscom’s skill in maritime security control.

The Sea Combat Course will allow 20 personnel from Esscom to tap into the expertise of the Sri Lankans in safeguarding their waters.

“We expect to send some officers and personnel to a sea combat training in Sri Lanka early next year,” Hazani said.

“Hopefully, the government will approve our request for training with them.”

This year’s third series of Exercise Pasak was held this week at the Sandakan airport to refine Esscom troops’ urban counter-terrorism skills.

In his exercise closing speech yesterday, Hazani said the command was committed to ensuring the Esszone was secure and free of criminal and terror threats.

“We train hard, so that when the time comes, we fight easy,” Hazani concluded.

KUALA LUMPUR (23 Nov) – The establishment of Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) had successfully reduced armed intrusions by foreigners, cross-border crimes and illegal landings by immigrants.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim told Dewan Rakyat that the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), which monitors districts under Esszone, views seriously the rising number of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

“In order to deal with the situation, Esscom are working closely with all relevant government agencies including the armed forces, Immigration Department, National Registration Department and the police.

“Numerous joint operations such as Ops Gasak had been carried out on a daily basis and the coastal waters of eastern Sabah covering 10 districts are constantly monitored to prevent the entry of illegal immigrants.

“The joint operations leveraged on the National Blue Ocean Strategy which brings together several government agencies in an operation,” he said in reply to Juslie Ajirol (BN-Libaran) during the Minister’s Question and Answer (MQT) session.

He said Esscom had detained 1,156 people comprising locals and illegal immigrants during joint operations from January to September this year.

At the same time, he said the government had no plans to extend the areas monitored under Esscom.

The minister also noted that more than 6,000 People’s Volunteers Corps (Rela) members from the 10 districts will be stationed within Esszone as second-liners to safeguard the area.

The districts under Esscom are Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau.

In reply to a supplementary question from Stephen Wong Tien Fatt (DAP-Sandakan), he said the public had faced no difficulties in calling Esscom when they needed help.

— New Straits Times

KOTA KINABALU (30 Okt) – The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) which ended at 6pm Sunday, has been extended until Nov 14.

The districts are Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din said with the extension, all residents in the affected areas must remain indoors between 6pm and 6am.

“The curfew has been extended to ensure that the waters are not encroached by terrorists, which could threaten the security of international researchers, as well as tourists at resort islands,” he said in a statement here.

Ramli said based on information, the Abu Sayyaf militant group and those who conducted kidnappings for ransom from the southern Philippines and cross-border crimes were still active in the region.

The curfew was also to facilitate enforcement and monitoring of boat movements and the presence of security vessels creates a sense of security for chalet operators and fishermen around the area, he said.

“I also authorise all district police chiefs in the ESSZone districts to issue permits to eligible applicants for fishing activities, or in cases of emergencies to go through a curfew area,” he said.

KUNAK (29 Sept) : A Filipino with links to southern Philippines based kidnap-for-ransom group was shot dead in a shootout at sea near Pulau Burung here.

The 50-year-old suspect known only as “Tarab” was killed in the shootout with a police team led by Kunak district police chief Supt Mohd Nasaruddin Nasir during an Ops Sea Hunter to tackle robberies at sea at around 2.30am Friday.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim told reporters that the suspect was an informer for the kidnap groups and was also involved in sea robberies involving fishermen in the area.

He said that the police team led by Supt Nasaruddin was in an unmarked boat when they confronted the suspect in a pump boat at Pulau Burung, a tidal island.

(Tidal island is a piece of land that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide.)

“As the police team, tried to approach the suspect, he started to open fire at the police team and fled.

“Our men fired back. After the shootout, when the police team reached the boat, they found him dead,” he said. He said they also found a .38 pistol with four bullets including one spent shell. A Samurai sword was also discovered.

Noor Rashid said the suspect was wanted by police for sea robberies against local fishermen as well as Sea Gypsies or Bajau Laut in the area.

“We believe that several cases of robberies have been solved and also we have cut a link for the kidnap groups as the suspect had been providing information and also acting as a lookout for the group,” he added.

He said the Ops Sea Hunter was carried out by Kunak police since early this year and they have been gathering intelligence as well as other information in the sea areas of the district that borders close to southern Philippines Tawi Tawi chain of islands. He said some cases of sea robberies were not reported to police especially by the Sea Bajaus.

KOTA KINABALU (23 Ogos) – A 17-year-old local teenager was jailed a total of 13 years by the High Court here, yesterday, for committing three counts of Islamic State (IS)-related terrorism activities.

The boy from Sandakan is the first person in Sabah to be convicted by the High Court for IS-related offences. Judge Ravinthran N. Paramaguru meted out the sentence after considering all relevant factors adduced before him including the facts that the accused is a 17-year-old during the commission of the offence and that he is a first time offender.

However, the court said, the mitigation factors should be balanced against the enormity of the offence committed. “You may not have gone out of your house and injured somebody but had actively participated in the social media group that promote terrorism acts.

“Your acts have the potential to threaten the security of the public and this case is a serious offence. So it cannot be said that merely using a handphone and participating in chat group is a harmless act. It can be the beginning of a serious terrorist incident.

“This is the reason why the law provides a very heavy sentence, a maximum 30 years’ imprisonment to anybody who lend support to terrorist group or terrorist activity,” he said.

The court further viewed that the recommendation by the probation officer to send the accused to Henry Gurney School cannot be accepted because the accused is already 18 and the offence is very serious.

The charges are giving support to IS terrorist group through his Facebook (FB) and Telegram as well as possessing items associated with the group in his handphone, at a house in Yii Villa Apartment in Jalan Buli Sim-Sim, Sandakan, between December 2015 and August 4, 2016.

The boy received six years imprisonment, each, on the first and second charges of giving support to the IS group and giving support to the commission of a terrorist act, respectively.

The first charge is framed under Section 130 J(1)(a) of the Penal Code, while the second is framed under Section 130 J(1)(b) of the same Code.

Both charges carries life imprisonment or imprisonment for a term not exceeding thirty years, or with a fine, and shall also be liable to forfeiture of any property used or intended to be used in connection with the commission of the offence.

For the third charge, the boy was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment for possessing items associated with IS group in his phone.

The offence is framed under Section 130JB (1) (a) of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years, or with a fine, and shall also be liable to forfeiture of any such item.

The entire custodial sentence was ordered to run concurrently and this means, he will only serve six years’ jail instead of a total of 13 years imprisonment.

Earlier, during mitigation, counsel Jamadi Salleh among others asked for court to consider the accused involvement is only through social media inside his room and not physically involved with the activity.

He said, the accused parents are working and he did not go to school. Further he said, the accused is still young and easy to be influenced.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mohd Izhanudin Alias, in his rebuttal, said the case is very serious and the public interest should be prevailed.

A deterred sentence must be imposed to deter other youngest or would-be offender not to repeat the offence. The accused initially faced five charges. He had pleaded guilty to the three charges at early stage of trial in June, this year.

As for the two other charges, the accused was discharged and acquitted not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) as applied by the prosecution.

The two charges stated that the youth is accused of promoting the commission of a terrorist act and promoting membership in IS group, via Facebook and Telegram, at the same time and place.

Both offences provide imprisonment for a term which may extend to 30 years, and shall also be liable to a fine, upon conviction, under Section 130G of the Penal Code.

Counsel Jamadi was together with counsel Farah Sairah Abd Razak who represented the accused.

–NewSabahtimes

SANDAKAN (22 Ogos) – Philippine security forces have detained a member of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) who was involved in the kidnapping of Taiwanese tourist from Pom Pom Island Resort, Semporna in 2013.

The arrested ASG member was identified as Fahar Ismael alias Putoh Taron. The Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) reported that Ismael was arrested by joint military and policemen at a checkpoint last week in the village of Timbangan, Indanan, Sulu.

He was reported to be a member of the group of gunmen responsible for the kidnapping of Taiwanese national Chang An Wei @ Evelyn Chan from Pom Pom Island Resort on 15 Nov 2013.

Chang was holidaying with her husband Lee Min Hsu when heavily armed militants stormed their villa. The gunmen who wore ski masks, shot her husband dead before abducting her and taking her by boat to Jolo.

Fahar Ismael is the third member of the group who were involved in Chang’s abduction nearly four years ago, to be captured or killed by the Philippine security forces since March 2017.

He is also believed to be involved in the kidnapping of Filipino engineer Marso Salinas. Meanwhile, the Philippine security forces also arrested seven men during an operation in the town of Lugus, Sulu on August 18.

Seized from them were three M-14 rifles, two M-16 rifles, an M1 Garand rifle, a .45 Caliber pistol, six clips for Garand rifle, assorted magazines, 13 magazines for M16, assorted ammunition, and assorted ammunition pouches and uniforms.

The suspects and firearms were turned over to Sulu Provincial Police Office for further actions. The Philippine military said Ismael has an arrest warrant for murder as co-accused of his leader, Idang Susukan.

On March 14, Abu Sayyaf sub-commander Buchoy Hassan also known as Black or Bocoi was killed after resisting arrest by Philippine security forces in Tawi-Tawi.

Buchoy was one of the wanted persons in Malaysia for his involvement in the Pom Pom Island Resort kidnapping. Another Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) sub-commander Badong Muktadil was killed during a firefight with Philippine security forces in the waters off Barangay Silangkan, Parang in Sulu early Aug 13.

Badong who had six warrants for his arrest, was also wanted by the Malaysian authorities for his involvement in the abduction of Chang and the murder of Lee, and the sea jacking of a Vietnamese vessel MV Giang Hai off Pearl Bank, Tawi-Tawi, on Feb 19.

KOTA KINABALU: An immigration crackdown on illegal workers in Sabah is on the cards following the end of the six-month “Rehiring Sabah 2017” programme, which was poorly received.

Employers were encouraged to register their illegal workers during the six-month period, but only 1,088 of the estimated 50,000 illegal Indonesian and Filipino workers had registered since the programme kicked off on Feb 16. State Immigration Department director Musa Sulaiman said they did not know the reason behind the poor response from employers.

“We will have to go to the ground and ask employers why they have not participated,” he told reporters. The programme, which was carried out by the state-appointed Syarikat Inti Padu Technology Sdn Bhd, was part of an initiative to overcome worker shortages in the agriculture, construction, manufacturing and service sectors.

“For now, there is no directive to extend the rehiring programme,” said Musa, adding that any such directive would have to come from the state government as immigration issues were the state’s prerogative.

He said that firm action would be taken against employers who hire or harbour illegal workers in plantations or other places of work.

“They have been given six months to register and if they did not do it by Tuesday, they will have to answer to the law,” he added.

It is understood that the company charges about RM1,200 to register each worker, which does not include levies and other immigration charges.

Musa added that until July 31 this year, the Immigration Department had carried out 793 operations and screened 23,563 people, of which 2,738 were found to be illegal immigrants.

Filipinos made up the highest number of illegal immigrants with 1,928, followed by Indonesia (725), Pakistan (64) and the remaining 24 coming from India, China, Vietnam and Thailand and others.

He said a total of 60 employers were arrested for harbouring or hiring foreign workers illegally.

Musa also said that the state government had allowed for workers to work until the age of 60, up from the previous 55-year age limit, but would have to pass a medical screening first.

Foreign workers will also be allowed to work up to 15 years in the state, up from the previous limit of 10 years. “Under the previous 10-year policy, foreign workers can work for five years plus another five. Now, they will be given an additional five years subject to them passing a medical check,” he said.

SANDAKAN (17 Julai) – At the mention of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Sabahans will still squirm, even after 17 years when they first made their name with their Sipadan Island kidnapping.

One of the Sipadan kidnappers has been arrested by Philippine security forces for his involvement in the kidnap of 21 people, mostly foreigners from the diving haven island.

Abdul Mubin Salahuddin Kudalat was arrested during a joint operation by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and military along the old Guiwan highway near Callejon Drive 3.4 KM from city centre about 10:45pm on Thursday.

Zamboanga City PNP Officer-in-Charge Diomarie Albarico said a sling bag that contained a grenade was seized from Abdulmubin Salahuddin who worked as a security guard in a local shopping mall.

Albarcio said based on investigation, Salahuddin was involved in the Sipadan kidnapping where nine Malaysians, 10 Europeans and two Filipino resort staff from Sipadan were taken hostage on April 23, 2000.

Albarico said Salahuddin is believed to be supplying firearms and ammunition to the Abu Sayyaf group based in Sulu.

He said Salahuddin managed to work as a security guard in one of the local agencies, since the suspect was able to acquire a license and pertinent documents, like clearances.

Salahuddin, who was detained, denied being an ASG member, citing he has no derogatory record as shown by the clearances issued to him.

The Sipadan kidnapping saw up to six ASG gunmen taking the hostages to their base in Jolo Island in Sulu. The incident was the first kidnapping staged by the ASG outside the Philippines.

During the hostage taking, the ASG issued various demands for the release of several prisoners, including 1993 World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef, USD2.4 million and a complete withdrawal of government troops from the area around Jolo where the hostages were being held.

The Philippine Army launched a major offensive on 16 September 2000, rescuing all the remaining hostages, except Filipino dive instructor Roland Ullah. Ullah was eventually freed in 2003.