KOTA KINABALU: Kalabakan member of parliament Datuk Ghapur Salleh said Sabahans are “getting fed up” with the recent spate of kidnappings in Sabah.
He said Sabahans are now scared for their own safety due to the kidnappings, the latest involving a fish farm manager from China in the east coast on Tuesday.
“Many agents don’t have business now because tourists from China don’t want to come here anymore.
“Sabahans are fed up with all the promises of the federal government. We have been part of Malaysia for 51 years now but the government doesn’t even think of our safety,” he said.
Ghapur was commenting on the kidnapping of Yang Zai Lin of Guangzhou who was taken from the Wonderful Terrace Fish Farm on Pulau Baik at about 2.45am Tuesday by five gunmen believed to be from southern Philippines.
Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) personnel, including air and sea units, had pursued the abductors who opened fire and escaped to the islands in southern Philippines.
On April 3, Shanghai tourist Gao Huayun, 29, and Filipino resort worker Marcy Dayawan, 40, were kidnapped by gunmen from Singamata Reef Resort off Semporna.
Ghapur said ESSCom should be dismantled and the National Security Council (MKN) take over the security aspects of the area.
“ESSCom is a toothless tiger. They have no command of the police or the army. It is better to get someone who has power,” he said.
ESSCom was formed following the invasion of Sulu gunmen last year. It covers 1,400km of the eastern coast of Sabah from Kudat to Tawau.
Penampang member of parliament Darell Leiking called for an “all-out war” against the “terrorists” following the latest kidnapping.
“We have been made to look like fools and weaklings. They come into the country with weapons and army fatigues and they wreak chaos, havoc and fear. They are not mere kidnappers, but terrorists.
“Enough is enough. We shouldn’t show them any kindness. They should be shot on sight,” he said
Leiking said there were serious concerns since the government had spent millions of ringgit to establish ESSCom.
In the 2014 Budget tabled last year, ESSCom was allocated an RM75 million to boost security along Sabah’s east coast.
“ESSCom has to give a full explanation on how these terrorists managed to slip past them. These incidents are a slap to ESSCom, the government and the people of Sabah,” he said.
Leiking said the “terrorists” would have very likely received help and intelligence from people holding Malaysian documentation in Sabah.
He added that the full report on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah should be released immediately because of public interest.
The report is due to be presented to the Agong on May 21.