Datuk Omar Mammah
KOTA KINABALU: The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) has been extended to Nov 27, said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah.
Omar said the curfew covered the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran.
With the extension of the curfew, those living in the affected areas should remain indoors, while outsiders would not be allowed to enter the waters between 6pm and 6am during the period.
The curfew aimed at ensuring the safety and well-being of the Sabahans in the ESSZone as well as international researchers and foreign tourists visiting the resort islands, he said in a statement here today.
He said the curfew would facilitate enforcement and monitoring of boat movements as well as creating a sense of security and confidence to chalet operators and fishermen with the presence of security vessels in the vicinity, he said.
Based on information, he said, the Abu Sayyaf militant group and those who carried out abductions and sought ransom from the southern Philippines were still attempting to encroach into the national waters and carry out cross-border crimes. – Bernama