Eastern Sabah Security Command Will Get More Assets

 Published on Thursday, 17 December 2015 17:51
Malaysia Digest 

 The Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) will get more assets, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the reinforcement was crucial in establishing ESSCom's omni presence over the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) stretching more than 1,700 kilometres.

The additional assets included a state of the art radar, an attack helicopter and drones.

"Preparedness is not just rhetoric and commitment on paper. We must meet ESSCom's surveillance requirements and enforcement personnel preparedness," he told a media conference on ESSCom, yesterday.

Earlier, he chaired a high level meeting on development projects for ESSZone and acquisition for ESSCom at the Home Ministry here.

Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, Home Deputy Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed and Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

Ahmad Zahid said ESSZone which comprises 10 districts, namely Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau was very vulnerable to intruders.

Hence, he said, to prevent any likelihood of such threat, coordination and recognition of it were emphasised among the enforcement agencies involved.

"Powerful nations had in the past failed to resist guerrilla war tactics; we should not be trapped in the same way," he said.

On the current security status in the ESSZone, he described it as good, judging from the morale of the personnel.

During the media conference, Ahmad Zahid also introduced ESSCom's new commander SAC Datuk Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid, who is replacing DCP Abdul Rashid Harun.

Abdul Rashid has been promoted and will assume duties as Sabah Police Commissioner effective Dec 23.

ESSCom also has a new chief executive officer, Noor Alam Khan Abdul Wahid Khan. He replaces Ruji Ubi who has been appointed as Sabah State Development director effective Dec 16.

Meanwhile, Bari who was Kuala Lumpur Traffic and Public Order chief prior to his appointment said he was yet unfamiliar with his new task but would do his best.

As for Noor Alam Khan, he felt his appointment as ESSCom's CEO would be a bigger challenge compared to his job as Sabah Immigration director.

Sabah Immigration Chief Is New Esscom Boss

KOTA KINABALU: The Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) has a new chief executive officer effective Sept 16.

Sabah Immigration director Nor Alam Khan is now Esscom’s CEO, replacing Ruji Ubi who has been appointed as Sabah State Development officer.Ruji took over from Datuk Matusin Sunsang who opted for early retirement early this month.

Meanwhile, Esscom in a statement yesterday said Ruji received his appointment letter from chief secretary to the government, Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa, on December 15.

Ruji, 45, holds a BA Hons from Universiti Malaya and Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Resolutions from University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

He had held various posts in federal ministries prior to his stint in Esscom, which was established on April 2013 following the militant intrusion in Tanduo, Lahad Datu earlier the same year.