Khalid (centre) presenting the posthumous award to Razkan’s widow, Setinur Aferi Andu (right) and six-year-old daughter Nur Aqilah Darwisyah at the ceremony yesterday. Also seen is Jalaluddin (left).
KOTA KINABALU: The Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) wants the Philippines government to be firm in handling its southern militant rebels as they continue to pose security threats to Malaysia, particularly Sabah.
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the Philippines government should bear the responsibility of stopping these terrorist groups from continuously intruding into Malaysia and committing crimes, especially rampant cross border kidnappings over the years.
“We will be meeting with them. We want them to take action and double their efforts to wipe out these militant groups involved in cross-border crimes.
“It is up to them what kind of action they take but it needs to have an impact so that these groups will stop coming here and targeting our people and our tourists,” he said yesterday.
Khalid said this after at the ‘posthumous’ award ceremony for the late Sergeant Razkan Seran at the Sabah police headquarters in Kepayan here yesterday in the presence of the Sabah Police Commissioner, Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman, and other senior police officers.
Razkan was among six people killed in a helicopter crash along Jalan Sungai Lalang in Kampung Pasir Baru, Semenyih, Kajang, while on a flight from Pahang to Subang on April 4. Among those perished in the crash were Rompin member of parliament Tan Sri Dr. Jamaluddin Jarjis, the Prime Minister’s senior private secretary, Datuk Azlin Alias, pilot Captain Clifford William Fournier, his operations assistant, Aidana Baizieva and SP Baiduri Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Tan Huat Seang. Razkan was Jamaluddin’s bodyguard.
Khalid said the militant groups are from the southern Philippines where they will often hide and wait before striking.
“As you can see, the distance between the islands in the south Philippines and the east coast of Sabah is only about 1,700 kilometers, so it is easy for them to make their escape through various routes and islands,” he said.
Khalid, meanwhile, refused to comment on the latest kidnapping of two locals in Sandakan, Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, and Bernard Ghen Ted Fen, 39, by four armed men at the Ocean King seafood restaurant on May 14.
He also refused to comment on the alleged refusal of the kidnapped victim’s family to lodge a police report regarding ransom demands.
“Let us do our job to bring them back home safely,” he said.