| Filipino
kidnappers could still return to Sabah, analysts say KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia, Aug 27
(AFP) - A week after getting its last hostages back, Malaysia is keeping land, sea and air
forces on high alert against any repeat kidnapping in the remote state of Sabah.
But opposition figures and
analysts say there is no foolproof way of stopping Muslim rebels in the southern
Philippines from returning by speedboat to seize more lucrative captives in the eastern
state.
They cite the length of the
coastline -- almost 400 kilometres (250 miles) -- and its proximity to several islands in
Philippine waters.
Off Sabah's east coast there
are almost 200 small islands, of which only 52 are inhabited.
Another problem, they say, is a
huge population of mainly Filipino illegal immigrants in the state -- a few of whom are
suspected of having family links with the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers.
On April 23 the self-styled
fighters for a Muslim homeland came ashore in two boats at a diving resort on Sipadan
island.
They seized nine Malaysians and
12 others, mainly foreign holidaymakers, and sped back to the Philippine island of Jolo.
Most of the foreign hostages are still being held.
The incident was the latest in
a series involving criminals known or suspected to be from the lawless southern
Philippines.
In 1979 pirates hijacked a
ferry carrying some 70 local and foreign passengers. They were released a few days later
after being robbed.
Malaysian police said they
killed several pirates in a shootout soon afterwards.
In September 1985, 11 people
were killed and several injured when 15 pirates landed in Lahad Datu town and open fire at
random before robbing a bank.
Police and troops pursued the
pirates and reportedly killed several.
In February 1996 a group of six
pirates stormed the police station at Semporna near Sipadan and held officers captive
before accomplices robbed a goldsmith shop.
In June that year Semporna
police shot dead eight pirates who robbed fishermen.
The official line is that
tourists have nothing to fear.
But Yee Moh Chai, an opposition
member of parliament from Sabah, told AFP: "It is foolish for anyone to say that the
Sipadan hostage taking cannot happen again at some other place and time.
"The present environment
with a extremely huge presence of illegal immigrants, who have free access in and out of
Sabah, is horrendous.
"Even more alarming is
that these people have insiders who are helping them in their criminal activities."
Abdul Hamid Mustapha, national
director of internal security, said last week that police had identified several relatives
believed to have helped the Abu Sayyaf and would arrest them soon.
Unofficial counts put the
number of illegal immigrants in Sabah at around 500,000 -- mainly Filipinos but also
Indonesians.
Most provide cheap labour in
construction and plantations or work as maids. But a substantial number cannot find work
and some turn to crime -- smuggling liquor, cigarettes, drugs and weapons.
On Sabah's east coast,
immigrants outstrip locals by at least three to one, local observers say.
Following the Sipadan
kidnapping, paramilitary forces have been stationed on several islands. All foreign boats,
especially from the Philippines, were subjected to thorough checks.
But some officials admit
difficulties.
National police chief Norian
Mai said after the kidnapping that only a small number of security personnel were allowed
to be stationed on Sipadan under an agreement with Indonesia, which also claims the
island.
During a visit in May Defence
Minister Najib Razak said imposing tight security in Sabah's eastern waters may be
impractical, even though navy patrols had been strengthened.
"But to impose tight
security there is not a practical idea because crossing borders is a daily affair for the
people in these waters," he said.
Many people crossed to trade or
just to visit relatives.
"Sometimes the people
living along the border area enter one country in the morning and leave by afternoon.
"We have to bear in mind
the conditions in the area. There's a lot of people moving in and out on a daily basis who
are not criminals," Najib said at the time.
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