| POLICE TIGHTEN SECURITY IN SABAH WATERS
By Kuzaimah Idris
KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- Security checks in Sabah
waters have been intensified following Sunday's incident in which six armed men took 21
people hostage and escaped from Sipadan island, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Norian
Mai said Wednesday.
From yesterday, all foreign boats, especially from the Philippines, entering the country
had been subjected to thorough checks, he said.
"Apart from that police personnel at the forward base on Pulau Mataking, Sabah, will
inspect all foreign boats wishing to enter Sabah waters...and this measure was also
introduced yesterday," he told Bernama in an interview at his office in Bukit Aman
here.
He said although security checks were standard procedures, they were not implemented
comprehensively when the security situation in Sabah was not under threat.
"Of course, it has been a procedure but when the situation was calm, the base was not
active and it was not mandatory for all boats wishing to enter to be inspected,but now we
have tightened the regulations and controls," he said.
In the Sunday night raid, the six heavily armed pirates abducted 10 Malaysians and 11
foreigners and fled in two boats towards Philippine waters.
Norian said police had also stepped up air surveillance and sea patrols in the coastal
areas.
"Our focus now is on the coastal areas to ensure the safety of residents there, and
steps have been taken to beef up security through PGA (General Operations Force)
checks," he said.
"Although on the whole there have been no new incidents that threaten security since
that raid, the local people might be worried by that incident and because of this we are
stepping up checks," he said.
Norian admitted that Sabah's vast borders and waters had made it difficult for the
authorities to control and monitor all entry points, especialy since only a small number
of personnel were allowed to be stationed on Pulau Sipadan.
Norian said this was because under an agreement signed with Indonesia, which is also
claiming Sipadan island, the Malaysian authorities were not allowed to deploy a big group
to guard the island.
The case on overlapping claims to Sipadan island has been referred to the International
Court of Justice.
"In a normal situation, three personnel will be enough to maintain security but
wherever we are, for example on Pulau Redang, if 10 well-armed people storm the place,
what could we do? (with a small number of personnel)," he said.
Describing the abduction as something unexpected, Norian said the situation in the
country's waters was peaceful and the Sipadan case was an isolated incident.
Norian said the National Security Council (NSC) had set up a special operations room to
handle enquiries from relatives of those held captive.
This was decided yesterday by a committee comprising representatives of departments
involved in the search and rescue operation for the captives, he said.
Yesterday's meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Abdul Halim
Ali.
"Any enquiries can be directed to the operations room so that the police, who have
received many calls, need not attend to them. Press statements can also be issued by this
committee," he said.
The operations room can be contacted round-the-clock at 03-2936862 or 03-2067821.
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