Be Always Prepared To Face Any Situation, Abdul Rashid Tells ESSCom Members

LAHAD DATU: The commander of Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun reminded his forces to enhance their knowledge and professionalism to face the complex issues faced by communities in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).

Abdul Rashid said everyone in ESSCom, no matter what position they hold, are always exposed to various challenges, both physically and mentally.

“Maybe some among us are not aware that even around us there are many challenges, only that we are not aware. Therefore, to counter such challenges and danger, ESSCom members must be trained to tackle such issues," he said after closing a Basic Outboard Series 1 workshop at the Marine Police base in Lahad Datu, Tuesday.

Abdul Rashid also reminded ESSCom members to be sincere and honest to ensure integrity when carrying out their duties.

“I do not want to hear ESSCom members shirking their responsibilities when carrying their duties because such attitude can tarnish the image of ESSCom and raise the alarm of security among the people," he said.

Speaking of the workshop, Abdul Rashid said the programme was part of ESSCom's initiative to equip every ESSCom member with the necessary knowledge, experience and exposure to enhance their survival in whatever situation they faced.

-Bernama

Details

Published on Wednesday, 23 September 2015 12:05

RMN Needs More Assets To Strengthen Ability To Safeguard National Waters

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) needs more assets to strengthen its ability to safeguard the sovereignty and security of the national waters at all time.

RMN chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar said, at present, the RMN had 44 naval assets, including vessels, to ensure that there would be no encroachment on the national maritime borders by foreigners, including pirates.

"Having a shortage of assets will not hamper RMN's efforts to safeguard the national waters in a comprehensive manner, which involves 24-hour patrol by eight vessels in eight operations daily," he said in his speech at the barbeque event in conjunction with the RMN-Media Day at KD Sri Gombak in Jalan Padang Tembak here.

Also present was RMN deputy chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin.

Details Malaysia Digest

Published on Wednesday, 23 September 2015 00:56

Coast Guard C4 Isr Challenges

PPT – Maritime Domain Awareness PowerPoint presentation | free to view - id: 2a283-YmY2Z



Malaysia Coastguard  towards smart command management

The Case For LCS: Searching For The AirAsia Plane

The Littoral Combat Ship Fort Worth joined the search for the remains of Air Asia Flight QZ8501. This grim mission marked more than a real-world test of a new and controversial class of ship. It also shows why the Navy needs something like LCS at all.

The Fort Worth started working this weekend with the USS Sampson, an Aegis guided missile destroyer. The two vessels are very different. The LCS is small and lightly armed — so much so, in fact, that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a redesign — with a length of 388 feet, a displacement of 3,400 tons, and a crew of only 50 sailors. The destroyer (designated DDG-102) boasts almost 100 missile launchers, a length of 509 feet, 9,300 tons displacement, and a crew of over 350. Many naval experts sneer at LCS’s inability to do what destroyers can, from protecting other ships against enemy aircraft to surviving a cruise missile hit. But in operations like this recovery mission, which occupy a great deal of the Navy’s time, LCS can do as well as the big ship or better at a fraction of the cost — freeing up those high-powered vessels for high-threat missions.

A sailor on the Fort Worth searches for Air Asia debris

LCS lacks a destroyer’s high-end Aegis radar system, for example, but in the search for floating debris, both ships are relying primarily on sailors’ eyes. Aircraft are crucial to the wide-area search as well, and each ship has about the same airpower. Specifically, the destroyer has two MH-60 Sea Hawks, which are manned aircraft, while the LCS has a single Sea Hawk and two robotic MQ-8B Fire Scouts, which don’t have the advantage of a human brain onboard but which can also stay out longer than a human crew. In this mission, where endurance matters more than adaptability, the unmanned aircraft arguably give LCS an edge. Now, an Aegis destroyer could swap out a Sea Hawk so it could carry unmanned aircraft too; indeed, an upgraded Fire Scout dronewas recently tested aboard the destroyer Dunham.

An MQ-8B Fire Scout drone aboard LCS-3 Fort Worth

But LCS has one advantage in this search a destroyer can’t replicate: Precisely because it’s a smaller ship with much less draft — 14 feet instead of 31 — the Fort Worth can better navigate reefs and shallows around South Asia’s innumerable islands. That’s the environment LCS is built for, in fact: The technical term for these shallow waters, “the littorals,” is what gives the Littoral Combat Ship its name.

LCS’s many critics charge it doesn’t live up to the second word in its name, “combat.” LCS is nowhere near the warship that a destroyer is. But the Navy designed it primarily for supporting roles on the margins of the main battle, like minesweeping, sub-hunting, and fending off small attack craft — not slugging it out with other ships or launching missiles.

And in peacetime — which is most of the time — the Navy fleet’s main mission is what Navy officers call “presence.” That means showing the flag, visiting foreign ports, training with allies, reminding adversaries that the America is on patrol — and, when necessary, responding to disasters to help search for the dead or care for the living. Those are missions a small, lightly armed ship with shallow draft can do as easily as a bigger, more heavily armed one. Whether you’re the US Navy or Woody Allen, 80 percent of success is still just showing up.

https://static.dvidshub.net/media/thumbs/frames/video/1501/385272/486x274_q75.jpg

By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.on January 05, 2015 at 12:36 PMBreaking Defence

Small Drones Are A Big Danger; Think Flying IEDs: CNAS

WASHINGTON: Sometimes small is beautiful. Sometimes small is lethal. While China andRussia are researching stealthy and armed drones, the drunk intelligence analyst who landed a Chinese-made mini-drone on the White House lawn in last month may be the more worrying sign of things to come.

Afghan and Iraqi guerrillas kludged together murderous roadside bombs with scavenged or homebrewed explosives triggered by cellphones or garage door openers, killing more Americans than any of Saddam’s Scud missiles or main battle tanks. What might similarly ingenious insurgents do with off-the-shelf drones?

“We’re seeing capabilities that were previously the monopoly of major military powers are now accessible…to non-state actors, even individuals,” said Kelley Sayler. She’s an associate fellow at Center for a New American Security and author of a report out this morning, “A World of Proliferated Drones.” (CNAS provided us a copy in advance).

“There’s been a lot of discussion around town, particularly as relates to drones in the national security space about high-end drones,” Sayler told me. “We didn’t really see there being discussion on the range of systems that are available…particularly given the availability of low-end systems, hobbyist drones, even commercial drones.”

The biggest danger in the medium term: swarming technology. As drones get not only smarter but cheaper, an enterprising adversary could buy a bunch and release them all at once, with the drones using insect-like artificial intelligence to converge on their target. Lots of little threats carrying lots of little bombs can add up quickly.

“Particularly if you’re looking at systems that can truly navigate autonomously, using those systems en masse is going to enable you to neutralize a much larger target,” Sayler said, “[and] it’s going to be more difficult to defend against because some of the lower end solutions like shooting the thing out with a shotgun might not necessarily be feasible.”

“Drones will enable airborne IEDs [improvised explosive devices] that can actively seek out US forces, rather than passively lying in wait,” Sayler wrote in the report. “Indeed, low-cost drones may lead to a paradigm shift in ground warfare for the United States, ending more than a half-century…in which US ground forces have not had to fear attacks from the air.”

Sophisticated drones are definitely part of that future threat, she said. But they require the resources of an advanced nation-state to develop and operate, and nation-states tend to be less murderously inventive than low-rent irregulars.

“When we are looking at the higher end systems we are seeing something that would be akin to missiles or manned fighters,” Sayler said. “When you’re looking at traditional state use, you are probably going to find more traditional and restrained uses.”

Guerrillas and terrorists, by contrast, generally have much less capability than nation-states, but they are more likely to use what they have in unexpected ways. Hezbollah has fired a drone with almost 60 pounds of explosives at Israel, although it was detected and shot down. Smaller drones are harder to detect, and states less vigilant than Israel — which has anti-missile systems constantly stopping rockets — might not be set up to detect them.

“We’re more looking at a threat that is rising from unanticipated use where US troops or allied troops are not particularly expecting a threat…. and therefore your countermeasures are not really in place,” said Sayler.

The simplest use of off-the-shelf drones would be to spy on US forces. That kind of low-rent reconnaissance could provide a significant tactical advantage without requiring any modifications. With a little jury-rigging, many widely available drones could carry five to 10 pounds of explosive. That’s hardly the same as a vehicle-flipping 500-lb roadside bomb, but it’s enough to kill.

The good news is that if you are aware of the threat, there are plenty of ways to stop it. “If you know these systems are coming … you can shoot them down with a shotgun,” Sayler said. Or, if you’d like to fight robotic fire with fire, there are specialized “drone-hunting drones” that catch unauthorized flying objects in a net.

The easiest way to defend large areas for a long time is jamming. At the very least you prevent the enemy drone from transmitting back intelligence to its operators. For the majority of drones flying today that navigate using either continuous GPS signals or constant remote control by a human, jamming can stop them in their tracks.

The immediate problem is what else you’ll jam. In a wilderness or free-fire war zone, the electronic collateral damage might not matter. In urban counterinsurgency, peacekeeping, or policing, however, you’ll turn the local population against you quickly if you’re constantly scrambling their cellphones. Set the jammers to avoid civilian signals like phones and police radios, and you can bet the bad guys will convert their drone controls to use the same frequencies.

The longer-term problem is that drones are getting smarter and more autonomous. “In the next few years we’re going to see technologies like sense-and-avoid systems being incorporated that allow the drone to autonomously navigate around objects,” said Sayler, reducing the need for a GPS signal or constant human supervision. That makes the coming swarm much harder to stop.

By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.on June 10, 2015 at 10:34 AM

McCain, Reed Push To Replace LCS Mine Drone

An unmanned mine-hunting mini-sub, the Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV)

WASHINGTON: In a letter obtained by Breaking Defense, senators John McCain and Jack Reed slam a key component of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship as unreliable and urge the Pentagon to explore alternatives to the Remote Mine-Hunting System.

In their Aug. 31 letter to the Pentagon’s acquisition chief, Frank Kendall, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, and outgoing Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the Senate Armed Services Committee leaders warn against a “rush to failure” and strongly suggest a “delay,” especially since key decisions on the LCS Mine Countermeasures (MCM) module are set for October and February,

The Littoral Combat Ship has been the Navy’s most hated program since its inception, andMcCain has been a persistent critic. The core concept — a lightweight warship that could switch missions by loading different mission packages of equipment — remains controversial with naval traditionalists who see LCS as fragile and under-gunned. The ships themselves have largely overcome their early problems with cost overruns and quality control. But LCS can’t do much without its mission packages, none of which is completely finished.

The two Littoral Combat Ship variants, LCS-1 Freedom (far) and LCS-2 Independence (near).

The most complex module — and arguably the most important given the Navy’s long neglect of the massive mine threat worldwide — is the Mine Counter-Measures (MCM) mission package. It’s currently undergoing a series of technical tests, already extended due to mechanical problems. That narrow technical evaluation will determine whether MCM is ready for a full-up operational evaluation, which in turn will determine whether MCM is ready for production. The Pentagon will decide whether to go ahead with Initial Operational Test & Evaluation in October.

The crux of the problem is an underwater drone meant to seek out submerged mines. The official names are the Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV) — if you’re just talking about the unmanned vessel, made by Lockheed Martin — and the Remote Mine-Hunting System — if you’re talking about it fully kitted with a Raytheon sonar. It’s a “semi-submersible” system that projects slightly above the water, neither a submarine nor a boat but something in between. The Navy will decide in February whether to award a production contract for more RMMVs.

So what’s the problem? The drone’s supposed to go for 75 hours, on average, between failures. According to the Pentagon’s top tester, it manages just 25. (The Navy says itstesting shows 200 hours between failures). That’s despite years of work to make it work better. “Recent developmental testing provides no statistical evidence that the system is demonstrating improved reliability, and instead indicates that reliability plateaued nearly a decade ago,” wrote the director of operational test and evaluation, Michael Gilmore, in an August 3 memo.

So maybe it’s time to cut bait, the senators suggest, none too gently,

With the mine threat especially urgent in the Persian Gulf, the Navy hasn’t waited for MCM-equipped Littoral Combat Ships to show up. Instead, it’s fielded mine warfare systems piecemeal and found out what works. McCain and Reed recommend three in particular for the Pentagon to review:

• Northrop Grumman’s Minehunting Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MHU), which are drones like the balky RMMV but go on the surface of the water instead of partially submerging. It also uses a different sonar (AN/AQS-24 rather than AN/AQS-20). TheBahrain-based 5th Fleet already has four MHUs in service.
• Textron’s Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (C-USV), another robo-boat, which is already under contract as part of the LCS MCM package. Its current role is to tow an Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) that detonates mines at a distance, but, the senators say, it could tow various sonars as well. “The C-USV appears to present both a cheaper and more effective alternative,” they write.
• AUVAC’s Mark 18 unmanned underwater vehicle, in both its Mod 1 Swordfish andMod 2 Kingfish variants. Both have served with 5th Fleet, and one of the Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarines has used them as well.

“The decisions made over the next six months will set the course for our nation’s maritime [mine warfare] capabilities for decades to come,” the senators write. “Too much is at stake to accept the status quo and permit systems with long documented cost, schedule, performance, and reliability shortfalls to get a free pass into the fleet.”

By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.on September 01, 2015 at 11:13 PM
Breaking Defence 

New China Drone: Looks Like A Reaper

breaking defence By RICHARD WHITTLE
on September 02, 2015 at 11:29 PM

WASHINGTON: China’s newest drone, the Caihong 5, appeared in last night’s huge military parade in Beijing. Chinese media are comparing the Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone to America’s MQ-9 Reaper, which with up to four Hellfire missiles and two 500-lb. precision-guided bombs under its wings is the baddest drone known.

(Today’s parade is ostensibly put on to celebrate the 70th anniversary of “victory in the Chinese People’s War Against Japanese Aggression” — better known to English speakers as the end of World War II. The fact is, China did relatively little to defeat Japan, since Chiang Kai-shek saved much of the cash and weapons we supplied him during the war to try and defeat Mao Zedong’s Communist army once the other allies defeated Japan. The Editor)

To the untrained eye the two drones may look a hell of a lot alike. But we hear from experts who cannot be named that the similarities between the Caihong 5 and the Reaper are at best superficial. Our experts work on black drone programs and can’t speak on the record.

The Caihong 5 has both a radome nose and an upward pointing V-tail like the Reaper, and its 66 foot wingspan is exactly the same as the American drone. According to Chinese media, the Caihong 5’s maximum gross takeoff weight is about 6,000 lbs., well below the Reaper’s 10,500 lbs., and Beijing’s Reaper knockoff has a reported maximum payload of 900 kilograms (1,984 lbs.), far less than the MQ-9’s combined payload of 3,000 lbs. external and 850 lbs. internal. The Reaper’s combined payload is about 1,749 kilos, nearly double the Caihong 5’s.

But that tale of the tape is just as superficial as the Caihong 5’s resemblance to the Reaper.

“There is no magic to building these vehicles,” said one expert who played a key role in developing the smaller Predator (Reaper’s father), the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. drone whose unprecedented endurance of more than 24 hours airborne broke the mold in unmanned systems. “The magic is in getting them to do what you want them to do when and where you want them to do it.”

MQ-9 Reaper heavily loaded

The Caihong 5’s manufacturer, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, told Chinese media their drone can carry six missiles and stay airborne 30 hours, which is significantly more than the Reaper’s usual endurance of 18 to 27 hours, depending on what it carries. Chief designer Ou Zhongming said the Caihong 5 also has a “powerful wall-penetrating radar (that) would change the way that military drones are used in counterterrorism missions.”

Maybe, but don’t believe it til you see it. “There is stuff like that out there, but it’s not very mature,” one expert said. In any event, this person added, “They don’t have any kind of similar sensor or weapons capability” to the Reaper.

Duplicating external hardware is one thing; duplicating the internal software that allows Predator and Reaper operators to track and attack targets on the other side of the globe would be a (don’t miss this reference) great leap forward for the Chinese indeed. It isn’t as simple as signing up for satellite TV. Even many drone “experts” don’t realize that the U.S. system of Remote Split Operations, as it’s called, relies on fiber optic cable to carry control and data signals to and from the United States to satellite earth links in Europe and then on to Predators and Reapers. That’s the only way the delay in the signal can be held to the necessary maximum of 1.3 seconds or less.

How much thought the Chinese may have devoted to capabilities like that is unclear, of course, but judging by the Caihong 5’s outward appearance, “It’s obvious they didn’t think real hard on being original,” one Reaper expert said.

How the “Rainbow” got its name is unclear, but the Reaper got its name more or less by happenstance, as I learned at a 2010 ceremony dedicating installation of the second MQ-9 in the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

In 2006, as Air Combat Command was trying to come up with a name for what until then had been the “Predator B,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Greene, first commander of the first squadron to use the MQ-9,  was asked to weigh in.

“They couldn’t come up with a name that they liked,” Greene told me in 2010. “So they were asking me down at the squadron level what I thought. I provided a few names, like Demon. I was trying to think along the ‘Predator’ line, in the same vein as ‘Predator.’” Then Greene spent a weekend with his father in New Mexico and asked him for ideas. “I said, ‘Hey, we’re trying to come up with the name for this aircraft. Everybody’s racking their brains.’ He said, ‘Well, what about Reaper, like Grim Reaper?’ I said, ‘Yeah, that sounds great.””  Greene said he submitted the name to Air Combat Command the following Monday.

The chief of staff at the time, Gen. T. Michael “Buzz” Moseley, loved it.

“ACC brought it to me and I immediately approved it,” Moseley recalled. The name Reaper “has got the panache. It’s got kind of a classic combat aircraft name to it. And it does kind of paint a picture of what we’ve been tasked to do.”

Navy officer claims trial to 14 bribery charges

Published: Wednesday September 2, 2015 MYT 12:16:00 PM  STAR

IPOH: A retired naval officer with the rank of Leftenan-Komander claimed trial in a Sessions Court here to 14 charges of abusing his position to obtain gratification amounting to RM833,332.50.

Former naval fleet supply depot commanding officer Wan Fathurahman Wan Musa, 48, pleaded not guilty to choosing companies, Syarikat Delima Evolusi Sdn Bhd and Syarikat WTY Defcorp Sdn Bhd, belonging to his brother Wan Rahmat Marzuki Wan Musa, to supply various items to the navy. 

He was said to have committed the offences at the meeting room of the fleet supply depot at the Lumut Naval Base between Aug 11, 2011, and Nov 12, 2012.

Wan Fathurahman, who was arrested on Tuesday, was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

He faces a maximum 20-year jail sentence, and fine of five times the amount of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Judge Rihaida Rafie set bail at RM140,000 in one surety and ordered the accused to hand over his passport to the court here by 4pm on Oct 27 upon returning from performing the haj.

The case is set for mention on Nov 3.

RMN Retiree Pleads Not Guilty To Using Office For Gratification

IPOH, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- A former Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) personnel pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to 14 counts of using his position as Commanding officer of the RMN Aid Depot in Lumut by awarding contracts to companies belonging to his brother.

Lieutenant Commander (Rtd) Wan Fathurahman Wan Musa, 48, was charged with committing the offences at the meeting room of the depot between Aug 11, 2011 and Nov 12, 2012.

He was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, which carries an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty.

Judge Rihaida Rafie allowed Wan Fathurahman bail of RM140,000 (RM10,000 on each count) with one surety and set Nov 3 for mention.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor from MACC, Rozanna Abd Hadi, while Wan Fathurahman was represented by lawyer Munawar Kabir Mohd Zainal Abidin.

-- BERNAMA

MACC prosecuting former RMN personnel 

IPOH: A former Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) personnel pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to 14 counts of using his position as Commanding officer of the RMN Aid Depot in Lumut by awarding contracts to companies belonging to his brother. Lieutenant Commander (Rtd) Wan Fathurahman Wan Musa, 48, was charged with committing the offences at the meeting room of the depot between Aug 11, 2011 and Nov 12, 2012. He was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, which carries an imprisonment for up to 20 years and fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, if found guilty. Judge Rihaida Rafie allowed Wan Fathurahman bail of RM140,000 (RM10,000 on each count) with one surety and set Nov 3 for mention. The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor from MACC, Rozanna Abd Hadi, while Wan Fathurahman was represented by lawyer Munawar Kabir Mohd Zainal Abidin.-BERNAMA

Marine Police Get 200 More Boats For Deployment In ESSZone

Published on Thursday, 03 September 2015 10:41 Malaysia Digest

PORT KLANG: The Marine Police will receive 200 more boats for deployment in Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) in an effort to beef up control of Malaysian waters.

Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the boats, to be sent in stages, would ensure the 1,700-km area from Kudat to Tawau were guarded from outside threats.

"So far, we have received 70 boats while 29 more are in the purchasing process. We will continue to work closely with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) in operations at border areas," he told reporters after launching 68th Marine Police Day celebration here, today.

The number of Marine Police assets deployed by security agencies in Malaysia-Thailand and Malaysia-Indonesia waters were adequate to curb transnational crimes.

In line with the increase in the number of boats, the Marine Police will see its strength reaching about 2,000 members nationwide.

Earlier, Khalid said the seizure of goods by the Marine Police was rising annually with over RM32 million worth of goods seized up to June this year.

"In 2013, RM45 million worth of goods were seized and rose to RM171 million in 2014," he added.

Marine Police also detained 1,480 illegal immigrants up to June this year.

-Bernama

The Marine Police will receive 200 more boats for deployment in Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) in an effort to beef up control of Malaysian waters. -Filepix

No Malaysia-France Discussion On Mistral Helicopter Carrier - Hishammuddin

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- Malaysia did not discuss with France about purchasing a Mistral helicopter carrier in the meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian yesterday.

Nor was the matter discussed during the meeting between Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and his French counterpart.

Hishammuddin said this in his twitter response to @WanKhairilAmmar who had posted a question: "H2O are we purchasing 3 billion warship sir?"

Hishammuddin also referred to the French Minister's reply to a similar question at a press conference that the matter was "not even discussed or even raised".

Meanwhile, Le Drian, during his one-day visit here led French defence industry representatives to pay a courtesy call on Najib at the prime minister's office in Perdana Putra, Putrajaya.

Later he attended a high profile joint defence meeting with Hishammuddin at Wisma Pertahanan here, where both ministers agreed to cooperate in strengthening intelligence sharing to counter the growing threat of IS, particularly in Sulu Waters.

-- BERNAMA

M’sia, France to focus on Sulu Waters to thwart IS threat

FMT Reporters

 | September 2, 2015

Defence Minister says France’s expertise and experience in maritime issues is a big help as Abu Sayyaf militants, in league with the IS, operate here.

Defence Minister says France’s expertise and experience in maritime issues is a big help as Abu Sayyaf militants, in league with the IS, operate here.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and France have pledged to share intelligence with the common aim of thwarting the growing threat of militant group Islamic State (IS).

An area of particular focus would be the Sulu Waters where the Abu Sayyaf, another militant group, operate.

Praising France for its expertise and experience in maritime issues, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein added, “Thus, it is important to have a friend like France to navigate the Sulu Waters together.”

Hishammuddin said the Sulu Waters was of particular interest since the Abu Sayyaf had recently declared its allegiance with the IS. Aby Sayyaf is believed to be based in the Philippines.

“The Sulu Waters must be secured in the event that there should be irresponsible groups (in this case Abu Sayyaf) that look over the waters as Islamic caliphate,” he was quoted as saying by Astro Awani after a four-eyed meeting with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian at Wisma Pertahanan, on Tuesday.

The pact to work together is believed to be beneficial to both parties. Le Drian, in reiterating the need to share intelligence, explained that the IS threat was a real and big concern that gave rise to maritime issues such as piracy and terrorism which both countries should take responsibility for.

Esscom Harnessing Expertise From Multiple Agencies

By Arthur Edward 

SEMPORNA (Bernama) -- It is a challenge in itself to maintain security at Sabah's eastern front, what more to coordinate several different agencies to strive for the purpose.

However, the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) has done just that. It has successfully coordinated the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and public agencies in achieving the required outcome.

This has helped in lessening communication gaps as well as improving coordination in maintaining security at the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone).

The ESSCom commander Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun said the department has been successful in creating an ESSCom-centred work culture in which results and tasks were oriented towards achieving the objectives of the department. This is as stipulated under the Preservation of Public Security Regulations 2013.

"Each agency has its own doctrine and work methods, but this does not hamper collaboration. We have a pleasant working environment that is acceptable to everyone in ESSCom," he told Bernama.

ESSCom was formed following the Sulu terrorists intrusion in Tanduo, Lahad Datu in February 2013 to preserve the harmony and sovereignty of Sabah, particularly in the ESSZone. In so far ESSCom has proven its capability to do so.

ESSZone comprises 10 districts namely Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau.

EXTERNAL CHALLENGES 

ESSCom faces multiple challenges in carrying out its duties. One of the main ones is helping external agencies adapt their roles and responsibilities towards achieving the goals and purposes of the department.

Abdul Rashid said they also had trouble gaining cooperation from some tour and aquaculture operators, who chose to ignore security concerns at the ESSZone in favour of profits.

"What is sadder are the public's negative perception and their questioning of ESSCom's capability and efficacy in carrying out its duties," he said.

To address such issues, several initiatives were carried out to clear up the misconceptions the public has on the department. This includes launching programmes like "ESSCom Bersama Masyarakat" (ESSCom With The People).

"We have also held more religious, social and sports activities for ESSCom staff and locals in the ESSZone so that they may get to know each other better and help garner better support for the department," he added.

PROPOSAL FOR RESTRICTED AREAS 

To enhance and strengthen security in the ESSZone, Abdul Rashid said they had proposed for several islands in Semporna to be converted into restricted areas.

He said 11 islands and one reef had been proposed to be made into restricted zones in Semporna, covering 146.16 square nautical miles, under the Protected Areas And Protected Places Act 1959.

"This proposal was brought to the Chief Government Security Office on May 2, 2015 and is still under discussion.

"These restricted zones are important in ensuring the safety of the people in the ESSZone. We hope the proposal will be approved by the government," he added.

The proposed islands are Pulau Sibuan, Pulau Maiga, Pulau Gaya, Pulau Mantabuan, Terumbu Sibangkat, Pulau Sibangkat, Pulau Selakan, Pulau Tetangan, Pulau Bohey Dulang, Pulau Kulapuan, Pulau Bohayen and Pulau Timba-Timba.

CURFEW 

Abdul Rashid said curfews have been implemented in the east coast of Sabah since last year, to prepare for any eventualities, including foreigners committing cross-border crimes.

On Aug 23, 2015, the 7pm to 5am curfew entered its 26th phase, when it was extended to Sept 6.

He said the curfew implemented involves an area of three nautical miles from the beach as it was an area often threatened by cross-border crimes such as kidnapping for ransom and that by the Abu Sayyaf group.

On views that the curfew hindered coastal economic activities, he said it was baseless.

"Marine operators are given the flexibility to carry out fishing activities during curfew by obtaining permits from their respective district police chiefs.

"Besides that, coastal fishermen can also fish as usual, up to three nautical miles (from the coast)," said Abdul Rashid.

He said the curfew was extended to facilitate enforcement and the surveillance of boats attempting to trespass and commit cross-border crimes.

REASSURING THE PEOPLE 

In the bid to ease the hearts and minds of the people, Abdul Rashid said ESSCom focused on communicating with all ethnicities in the ESSZone, without favouring one over the other.

"We have also carried out engagement programmes with tribe leaders and fishing communities in each district of the ESSZone from time to time.

"We have also worked with several associations including the Sabah Suluk Association to organise community and religious programmes," he said.

-- BERNAMA

France submits Rafale purchase proposal to Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - France has submitted a proposal to Malaysia for the purchase of 18 Rafale fighter jets, its defence minister said during a visit to Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

"We provided a full offer to the Malaysian authorities," Jean-Yves Le Drian said at a news conference with his Malaysian counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein.

"This offer will be studied by the authorities."

He added: "This proposal marks the beginning of formal discussions with Malaysia over the acquisition of 18 Rafale planes."

Malaysia has said it intends to replace its ageing fleet of Russian-made MiG aircraft, and along with the Rafale, the American F-18, Sweden's Gripen and the Eurofighter have been mooted as potential replacements.

But Hussein warned that Malaysia would have to judge whether any short-term plans to replace the fleet were affordable, with the country grappling with an economic slowdown and a sharp fall in its currency.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (2nd L) and Malaysian Defence Minister Hishamuddin Hussein (2nd R) walk after a welcoming ceremony at the Defence Ministry in Kuala Lumpur on September 1, 2015 (AFP Photo/Mohd Rasfan)

AFP

Malaysia, France To Enhance Intelligence Sharing To Combat IS:

Published on Tuesday, 01 September 2015 18:09

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will enhance intelligence sharing with France in efforts to counter the growing threat of the Islamic State (IS).

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said it would be impossible for Malaysia deal with such threats alone and with France's involvement, to combat threats together was timely.

"Abu Sayyaf, MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) and BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter) have declared allegiance to IS.

"It is important for us to realise that the Sulu Seas must be secured in the event that there are irresponsible groups who look at the seas as an Islamic caliphate.

"It is impossible for us to deal with IS alone, so as Asean chair (this year), I got all member countries to support efforts against IS. France coming on board especially on the issue of maritime security is directly on point."

Hishammuddin told reporters this after he co-chaired the Defence Joint Higher Strategic Meeting with France Defence Minister Jean-Yved Le Drian at the ministry here, today.

Le Drian, along with French defence industry representatives had also paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the prime minister's office in Perdana Putra earlier this morning.

Najib meets French minister over interest in copter carrier

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak held a high-profile meeting here with French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and French defence industry representatives.

The meeting, which lasted for about an hour, was held during a courtesy call to Najib at the Prime Minister’s office here yesterday.

A member of Le Drian’s delegation said the meeting, which was also attended by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, discussed Malaysia’s interest to purchase Mistral helicopter carriers.

Le Drian was also to co-chair the French-Malaysian Defence Joint High Strategic Committee with his Malaysian counterpart Hisham­muddin later yesterday.

The French Tribune newspaper recently suggested that Malaysia was also a possible contender for purchasing one of the Mistral aircraft carriers which had been ordered by Russia from STX France before being cancelled after the Ukrainian stand-off in 2014.

It was reported that Malaysia had been interested in buying an aircraft carrier similar to a Mistral. — Bernama

Published: Wednesday September 2, 2015 MYT 12:00:00 AM 
Updated: Wednesday September 2, 2015 MYT 7:25:40 AM