SANDAKAN – Lahad Datu MP Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal has urged people on Sabah’s east coast to remain calm following a shootout in Kunak waters which injured two Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) personnel this morning.
Yusof, who is also Sabah science and innovation deputy minister said the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) and the police have increased security for Kunak waters.
Surrounding districts including Lahad Datu are being guarded properly, more so as Aidilfitri approaches next week.
“Police will increase security in the district and its waters to ensure people’s safety even during Aidilfitri.
“The people can be confident that our security teams will ensure Lahad Datu and Kunak waters will not be intruded easily.
“The security patrols are to send a message that the security teams are always ready to fight cross-border crimes.
“We advise the public not to panic and give their full trust to our security personnel to perform their duties,” he said in a statement.
Yusof also urged the public to supply relevant information to the police should they encounter any suspicious activities.
Lahad Datu and Kunak are districts on Sabah’s east coast under the ESSZone which was established in the wake of an incursion by Sulu insurgents in Lahad Datu in 2013.
The incursion and subsequent fight saw 68 people killed – 56 among the Sulu insurgents, nine from the Malaysian authorities, and six civilians.
The area was also previously rife with cross-border kidnappings by criminals linked to the Abu Sayyaf group from the southern Philippines.
The last kidnapping, however, was reported in January 2020. – April 7, 2024