KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry is coordinating to rotate the responsibilities of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) commandant between the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).
Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the matter was also being studied in detail by the National Security Council before being presented to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak for the final decision.
“The Change of Command is usually referred to Bukit Aman Headquarters or Defence Ministry.
“As such, to ensure total security over the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), the commandant is better rotated for some years between police and the armed forces,” he said after opening the Home Ministry Family Day at Kajang Prison Complex near here yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid said the coordination was important to prevent overlapping of authority and deployment of assets procured by the PDRM, ATM and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM).
“In my opinion, what is important is the security of residents in the ESSZone and to prevent the intrusion of terrorists from neighbouring countries as well as smuggling activities,” he said.
Asked on the authority of the ATM in making arrests as ESSCom commandant, Ahmad Zahid said: “They have the authority to apprehend but the detainees will be handed to police for action”.
On the level of security at Sabah’s east coast following the kidnapping incident in Semporna recently, Ahmad Zahid said the ministry had made it mandatory to install high definition closed circuit television at all 11 resorts to tighten security.
He said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be signed with the governments of Nepal and Bangladesh on the recruitment of workers to the country.
“I have invited the Bangladesh and Nepal Manpower Ministers to Kuala Lumpur to sign the MoU. Nonetheless, as the matter is under the ambit of the Human Resource Ministry, KDN would be a witness to ensure that it is implemented as planned,” he said.
He was commenting on a report about the arrest of 15 illegal immigrants working at a resort in Sabah linked to the kidnapping in Singamata Adventures Reef and Resort, Semporna, Sabah.
In the report, Ahmad Zahid urged resort operators and employers not to hire foreigners or individuals without valid identification documents as this could lead to other problems in future.
“Foreign workers such as from Bangladesh and Nepal have complained of the high charges imposed by recruitment agencies. Actually we are imposing the minimal amount for biometric processing and so on,” he said.
The problems arose when the recruitment agencies started charging very prohibitive payments of more than RM24,000.
“They had to pawn their valuables to get a loan…so I think there must be action not only between governments but agreement between the industry players,” he said. — Bernama