KOTA KINABALU: The federal government is committed to fulfillng its promise to the people of Sabah, of implementing the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM), which is the security enforcement agency in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the federal government, however, would not do anything without the agreement of the people of Sabah.

"The state boss is the Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Musa Aman), who will consult me and we will jointly decide on what we need to do so that every inch of land in Sabah will be protected.

Najib hoped that Kiram's (self-proclaimed "Sultan of Sulu" Jamalul Kiram III) followers would not continue their agenda (of claiming their rights on Sabah).

"We hope, for Kiram's followers, enough is enough...don't chase after something that will bring you destruction as the people of Sabah are not willing for Sabah to be taken over by you," Najib said when opening the 28th Annual Conference of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), here, today.

Also present were Musa, who is also Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, and PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

Earlier, in his speech, Pairin said the people of Sabah welcomed the establishment of Esscom and Esszone following the intrusion in Lahad Datu by Sulu militants.

He said the incident was an eye opener for the people who had for long voiced their concern over the influx of illegal immigrants into the state which threatened the economy, social environment and security of Sabahans.

"Therefore, the people of Sabah appreciate the action taken by the federal government against the armed group who called themselves the Army of the Sulu Sultan."

He said the action showed the federal government was really committed to safeguarding national security and sovereignty.

Pairin also raised about the details of the establishment of Esscom and Esszone, which according to him, were not very clear to the people of Sabah.

"For example, they want detailed information on the Esszone locations, when it will operate and when additional security manpower will be recruited to meet the needs of the operations centres," he said.

Pairan said PBS felt that these must be explained further so that it would be clear to the people that the government had taken effective measures, hence assuring them that security in Sabah was under control.

He said the people in the state also wanted to know the extent of Sabahans' involvement in terms of manpower deployed to the Esszone.

"We hope that consideration be given to recruiting Sabahans to be among the armed forces and police personnel (for the Esszone) and with regard to appointments and promotions in the armed forces and police."

Pairin said Esscom was not only important for maintaining security in Sabah but also for economic impact, and hoped the federal government would provide details on this impact as a result of the setting up of Esscom.

The establishment of Esscom was announced by Najib on March 7 after his first visit to Lahad Datu following the intrusion incident in February.

Esscom which is headed by its director-general Datuk Mohammad Mentek, officially began operating on April 1.

Esszone, the area under the purview of Esscom, involves 10 districts, namely Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau, covering 1,400 kilometres of shoreline.

Bernama

21 October 2013| last updated at 09:39PM

Threat of Sulu terrorists remains: Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR: Although Jamalul Kiram III of the so-called Sulu sultanate died yesterday, the threat of Sulu terrorists against Malaysia remained, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Based on police intelligence network, there were seven people tussling to head the terrorist group which was said to have inherited the 'Sulu sultanate', he said.

Even though the names of the seven could not be revealed, the police and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) had been instructed to be prepared against any eventuality, he added.

"Upon Jamalul's death, we cannot assume that the intrusion of Kiram terrorists has thereby, ended, as there are seven individuals who feel they are eligible to take over the 'Sulu sultanate'.

"The police and ATM are monitoring closely, as what happened in February was not Jamalul Kiram's personal action and we suspect there were hidden hands which caused the terrorists to enter our country through Lahad Datu, Sabah," he said when met by reporters at Parliament lobby here today.

Yesterday, the media reported that Jamalul Kiram died at a hospital in Manila, Philippines due to organ failure.

Ahmad Zahid said national security should remain on full alert after the death of Jamalul as it could not be assumed that those who took over from him would not embark on any undesirable action.

In February, security forces launched 'Operasi Daulat' to eliminate the terrorists after negotiation over a month failed to get them to surrender.

During the operation, 10 security forces personnel were killed while 68 terrorists were shot dead, 173 arrested and several others, including Jamalul Kiram, fled.

Esscom census at two Sandakan villages

Published on: Wednesday, September 04, 2013

Lahad Datu: The Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) is conducting its census in Kampung Mangkalinau and Kampung BDC in Sandakan soon, its Director-General Datuk Mohammad Mentek said Tuesday.

He said the census would be conducted to obtain information on the security aspect and demography of the water villages to facilitate the relocation process of the residents.

"A meeting will be held on Sept 5 to discuss the relevant matters pertaining to the census to be conducted at the two villages," he added. He hoped the village heads and members of the Village Development and Security Committee would extend the necessary assistance to ensure the census could be conducted smoothly.

"The purpose of the census is to gather information and not to make arrest," he told reporters after a Hari Raya celebration hosted by Esscom at the Marine Police base, here.

The event was also attended by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman. Mohammad said that there were 131 water villages in Sabah, involving 22,600 houses and 136,000 residents, but not all the villages would be relocated.

He said Esscom would discuss with the National Housing Department for implementation of the people's housing project (PPR) to be streamlined with the proposed relocation of the water villages.

On the floating villages in Mukim Simunul, Semporna, Mohammad said all the residents in nine villages would be relocated to the PPR Bubul Lama, where there were 837 units of houses.

He said he had discussed with the Semporna District Officer to identify suitable site for the PPR project in Bugaya to accommodate the remaining residents from the floating villages in Mukim Simunul.

ESSCOM: Sabah learns from the experience of Sarawak

ABN News 17 MAR 2013 05:40PM

SIBU, March 17– In early 1972, the communist threat in Sarawak, especially in its central regions (Sibu, Kapit, Sarikei, Mukah and Bintulu), was fast approaching breaking point.

The estimated 500 militant communist terrorists from the Northern Kalimantan People’s Party (Party Rakyat Kalimanatan Utara or PARAKU) not only laid ambushes on the security forces but were intimIdating, harassing and killing innocent civilians at will. Curfews which at times were round the clock, were the order then.

The worsening situation forced the government under the leadership of the then prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein to declare the central region a “Special Security Area” which happened on March 25, 1972. This was to allow its machinery to be fully geared and mobilised with the imperative aim of maintaining public security and safety.

A day later RASCOM or the Rajang Security Command was formed.

“It was a bold experiment. For the first time in Sarawak and in the country, a joint Civil, Police and Military establishment was formed. It was to allow policising and decisions to be made and executed fast and efficiently, particularly where their coordinated services were necessary,” wrote one of its chief executive officers, the late Ignatius Angking

RASCOM was then administered by the then Sarawak chief minister as its director of operations.

He co-ordinated and controlled the functions and activities of the security forces and all civilian departments in the RASCOM areas and was assisted by a joint Civil, Military and Police Command headquarters.

In the words of Tun Abdul Razak, he said:” Under the new set-up, the machinery of the government would be streamlined from district to divisional level.

“The civil administration, police and military will work as a team. This will ensure that whatever measures the government intends to take to counteract the CT (communist terrorist) activities would be taken by all.”

Datuk Patinggi Abdul Rahman Yaakub, the then chief minister, said it was “now an established fact that in the type of war that we are fighting aganist the communist terrorists, guns alone are not enough.”

“It is a battle for the hearts and minds. It is a battle that is fought not only by the soldiers, but by all. It is a war in which no matter what they are and where they are in Sarawak, all must play their part,” said Abdul Rahman Yaakub, before he became RASCOM’s first director of operations.

Immediately, new strategies and tactics to fight the CTs were formulated in parallel with civil counter-measures in an all out war.

Among the very first major measure was the resettling of folks living in longhouses scattered deep in the interiors into regrouping and resettlement schemes.

This was to stop them from being harrassed by the terrorists who would come to them looking for food, logistics and recruits.

Altogether, five regrouping and resettlement schemes were formed. The major ones are the Nanga Ngungun with 23 longhouses and over 3,000 people, Nanga Tada (16 with 2,000 people) and Nanga Jagau(also 24 with 3,000 ) all in the Kanowit district and Nanga Sekuau (also 24 and over 6,000) in the Selangau District.

The other two are minor ones, at Nanga Dap(five with about 480) and Rantau Panjang (three and more than 300).

Bascially, while the Police Special Branch and Military Intelligence Unit hunted for intelligence, the military/border scouts/police field force would hunt down the terrorists or persuade them to surrender.

The civillian component would provide medical, adult education and other social services to the settlers beside organising civic assemblies and security briefings to warn the people on the dangers of supporting the communists.

They were also engaged in monitoring people movement and food denial excercises to restrict the flow of food, medicine and other essential items to the CTs within the RASCOM areas.

RASCOM soon proved itself to be a most effective strategy in the fight aganist the terrorists. Its turning point came on March 4, 1974.

Under a move known as ” Operation Sri Aman”, some 585 terrorists in the whole state decided to come out of their jungle hideouts and surrendered, leaving some 100 hardcore remnants behind.

And on March 3,1990, about 50 of them finally chose to follow suit which finally closed the state communist insurgency problem of more than three decades.

From then on, Sarawak begun to enjoy peace and security and with federal government support focused on pursuing economic and infrastructure development progress.

Without RASCOM, which was eventually disbanded on April 6, 1995, the state would not be what it is now.

Now 41 years later, on March 7, 2013 and by sheer coincidence, the son of the man who had announced the formation of RASCOM also announced the formation of a “Special Security Area (SSA)” for Sabah’s east coast.

It was later named ESSCOM or the Eastern Sabah Security Command covering a coastline of 1,400 kilometres from Kudat to Tawau.
ESSCOM came about due to the intrusion on February 12 of some 150-odd armed Sulu terrorists from the southern Philippines, who had landed in stages in traditional barter trade boats in Silabukan and Sungai Merah, close to Kampung Tanduo in Felda Sahabat 17, about 110 kilometres from Lahad Datu.

In a month since they intruded into the area, 56 of of the terrorists have been killed in gunfights.

Malaysia lost nine men, eight policemen and a soldier in the skirmishes.

Another soldier died when his truck overturned while ferrying supplies to the troops.

ESSCOM will protect more than 1.4 million Sabahans via land and sea with the deployment of not less than five batallions from the armed forces and police’s General Operations Force (GOF).

Its headquarters will be based in Lahad Datu.

“There is much ESSCOM can learn from the RASCOM exprience. ESSCOM is a step in the right direction,” said Brig-Gen Datuk Stephen Mundaw, the commanding officer of the Ninth Infantry Brigade here. The brigade replaced RASCOM.

Mundaw had served in RASCOM for several years, as a young military officer where among his fellow officers is the current armed forces chief, General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin.

Speaking to Bernama here, he said he personally believed “ESSCOM is a very excellent move and very timely as well in the light of what had happened in Sabah’s east coast.”

“It is in the same vein as RASCOM which was a very successful model in the fight against the communist terrrorist insurgency in Sarawak.

“I am sure there is much that ESSCOM can learn from RASCOM’s approach and exprience since both are, firstly, security areas. ESSCOM’s structure may be slightly different but many of its objectives and elements may reflect what RASCOM was all about,”he said.

“Secondly, it will be about inter-agencies co-operation and operations. It is commanded by a civilian while the military and police will do the enforcement duties. The civilian component, to include the local authorities and the relevant state and federal agencies, can be tasked with the non-combatant but equally important community development services and the area’s growth and prosperity,” he added.

“What we all want is peace and stability so that development and progress can come in uninterupted. Again, above all the country’s sovereinty must be upheld at all times.

“I also personally believe in Sarawak, particularly in the Ninth Infantry Brigade areas covering all the state’s central region and Miri division areas, we must not neglect its long porous border and coast which we must manage very well like in eastern Sabah. People can come in and go out anytime. The Lahad Datu incident like what our prime minister had said, is a wake-up call,” he said.-

BERNAMA