TAWAU: The setting up of a ‘Special Security Area’ in the East Coast of Sabah with five army battalions based in Lahad Datu will enhance the security level in the area, said Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
Thanking the Prime Minister for the move, the Umno vice-president said the five army battalions would be a formidable force to monitor and secure the vast boundaries of the East Coast seaboard here.
Shafie, who is also the Semporna member of parliament, believes the security level in Kudat, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Semporna and Tawau will be further enhanced with the presence of five battalions.
He said this to the media after donating RM10,000 to the family of the late corporal Salam Togiran, one of the policemen killed by Sulu gunmen in Semporna, yesterday.
“I strongly urge all Malaysians to unite and give our full support to the security forces who are in front line preserving our country’s sovereignty. Everyone of us should be united in spirit and put aside political differences, ethnic and religions matter as an encouragement to our security forces.
“I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the widows and families of the heroes who were killed in the shootout with the gunmen in Lahad Datu and Semporna recently,” Shafie said.
Shafie also congratulated the security forces for their ‘successful mission’ in defending the nation against the ‘Sulu’ invasion in Lahad Datu recently.
“In the early days of the incident, our security forces had endeavoured to avert bloodshed but that was not an easy way to do to prevent the incident from happening,” he said.