TAWAU: The Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) is needed to coordinate enforcement agencies in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), according to Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.
He said ESSCom’s tasks were to coordinate operations and streamline assignments on security monitoring involving the Malaysian Armed Forces, Royal Malaysian Police and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, in the waters off Sabah.
Since its establishment, he said, ESSCom’s role had been to maintain security over the land area and islands in ESSZone which involved the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran districts.
“It is a tough task to secure the sea area with limited government funding in the situation at the moment,” he told Bernama here yesterday, in response to Sri Tanjong DAP assemblyman Chan Foong Hin’s statement recently calling for the Barisan Nasional government to disband ESSCOM.
Chan had claimed that ESSCom failed the people totally and should let the Home Ministry and Defence Ministry take over the responsibility.
Chan also suggested empowering the people in Sabah with weapons as an alternative to address the security issue.
Nur Jazlan said allowing the local people to own guns legitimately would cause more problems then solve the issue.
Meanwhile, Semporna Bajau Bumiputera Association president Mansor Santiri also dismissed Chan’s suggestion for the government to arm the people with weapons.
“If we (Sabah) are in a war, then maybe we might need weapons and the training to handle them. But we have no such need at this time,” he said when contacted.
On the other hand, he said, the government must think of more comprehensive ways to handle the security issue in the east coast of Sabah.
“The overlapping of responsibilities and orders is probably why ESSZone could still be penetrated by Abu Sayyaf groups targeting fishermen,” he added. — Bernama