Marine cops determined to get justice for their mates

The slaying of marine police Kpl Abdul Rajah Jamuan and the abduction of Kons Zakiah Aliep have left their colleagues seething and determined to bring the attackers to justice.

They believe the attack on the marine police unit at the Mabul Water Bungalows Resort late on Saturday was a retaliation against Malaysian security forces and are willing to go all out to rescue Kons Zakiah.

“We just want to bring him home. This incident has been a painful experience for us,” said a marine police personnel, a friend of Kons Zakiah and the late Kpl Abdul Rajah.

He believed Kpl Abdul Rajah and Kons Zakiah had no time to retaliate when the gunmen attacked them as they were having their meal at the resort’s restaurant.

The colleague described Kpl Abdul Rajah as friendly while Kons Zakiah was the more quiet and religious one.

“He would try to perform his solat five times a day wherever he was, whether it was on the boat or even on a wooden walkway at a kampung,” he said.

The attack on Pulau Mabul came several days after seven masked gunmen failed in their bid to stage a kidnapping at a fish farm off Kampung Bangau Bangau in Semporna.

The gunmen could not find the farm’s owner and manager who had started to live on the mainland following a spate of kidnappings.

In a related development, Kons Zakiah’s wife Sharifah Erna Berson has moved in with her in-laws to wait for her husband’s return.

Her neighbour said Sharifah Erna and her four-month-old son Muhammad Hisham had moved out of house at Taman Nilam here to stay with her in-laws in Tuaran.

“She told us she wanted to be with Kons Zakiah’s parents as she felt better there while waiting for her husband,” said the neighbour.

A former hostage who was taken by Abu Sayyaf gunmen from Sipadan in 2000 said the kidnappers would usually not harm their hostages as they were considered as valuable commodities.

However, there are fears that Kons Zakiah might be treated badly as he is a policeman.

The former hostage, however, believed Kons Zakiah would be well treated as he would most likely be able to speak in either the Bajau or Suluk dialect with them.

“From my experience, these people will not hurt their captives if they do not try to fight or run away,” said the man who spent six months in the southern Jolo island.

He said captives were kept in areas close to villages and were guarded by at least 30 or 40 armed men and occasionally threatened when family members did not respond imme­diately to their demands.

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Mabul attack: Slain cop buried with full honours

Slain Marine Police Kpl Abdul Rajah Jemuan was buried with full honours at the Muslim cemetery near his home village of Kampung Bubul, about six kilometres from this Sabah east coast town, Monday morning.

His widow Salamah Ahmad and parents Jamuan Ajuan and Kamsiah Indaman were present along with Sabah Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Abdul Malek Harun.

Kpl Abdul Rajah, 32, was killed when eight gunmen attacked a Marine Police team at the Mabul Water Bungalows Resort late Saturday.

Another Marine Police personnel, Kons Zakiah Aleip, was reported missing following the 11pm incident.

TheStar

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Major reshuffle at #Esscom

The Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) is set to be revamped in a major reshuffle to strengthen security in the state’s east coast.

The move expected over the next few days is likely to see changes in several top positions including that of director-general Datuk Mohammad Mentek in the fledgling 14-month old security body set up following the Sulu intrusion of Kg Tanduo in Lahad Datu, said sources.

“The move will see uniformed security personnel working independently in carrying out operations,” the sources said, adding that current director of operations Datuk Deputy Comm Abdul Rashid Harun will be put in charge of all operations.

They said that the operations would be carried out without the need to inform or consult the director-general under a structure to reinforce security in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).

According to the sources, they expect Mohammad to be moved out in the revamp as the position of Esscom director-general (or chief executive officer) was being downgraded from Jusa B (Jawatan Utama Sektor Awam or Public Service Premier Post) to Jusa C.

“This would mean a Jusa C officer would hold the position as Mohammad was a Jusa B officer,” the sources explained.

Similarly they said that the positions of the three directors from the police and Armed Forces which was held by “three star” generals was likely to be held by a “two-star” generals in the downgrading of ranks under the revamp.

It could not be immediately ascertained where Mohammad, a former Sabah Immigration Department director, will be moved to or how many of the Esscom directors would be changed.

Esscom has been under public scrutiny following three cross border kidnappings in Semporna, Lahad Datu and Kunak.

Last week’s special operations by Bukit Aman in Kunak where five suspected Sulu militants including a police and army corporal were arrested also raised concerns over continuing security threats in Sabah’s east coast.

Changes were also being seen in Sabah police with Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman taking over from Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib who was moved to police deputy director of commercial crimes on June 30.

Sabah CID chief Senior Asst Comm Omar Mammah has been moved to become Chief Assistant Director of the Bukit Aman Crime Prevention Department in changes announced by Bukit Aman.

TheStar

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#LahadDatu: #Esscom to focus on four strategic categories

Four key strategic categories of operations will be the focus of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom).

Intelligence gathering is a key area in efforts to ensure that any potential threat is identified and neutralised, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The second focus is on heightening and improving coastal surveillance.

The other two categories are increasing the ability to intercept intruders and strengthening the ability to capture intruders who manage to slip into Sabah.

“These areas of concern are to ensure the security of the people.

“We want people to feel safe,” Najib said after launching the Esscom headquarters at the Lahad Datu marine police headquarters here yesterday.

However, he said Sabah's investments remained undisturbed and Lahad Datu's Palm Oil Industrial Cluster was not affected by the incident in which Sulu gunmen intruded into Kampung Tanduo before they were flushed out by security forces.

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Penubuhan #ESSCOM Pertingkatkan Lagi Keselamatan Perairan di Sabah

Penubuhan Kawasan Keselamatan Khas Timur Sabah (ESSCOM) membabitkan lima daerah di pantai timur Sabah dan ia terdiri daripada Sandakan, Tawau, Kunak, Kudah dan Lahad Datu. Dengan penubuhan ESSCOM ini akan membabitkan penyelarasan kerjasama antara tiga komponen, iaitu penduduk setempat, pasukan tentera dan pihak polis bagi membanteras ancaman pengganas.
 
Jika diperhalusi ESSCOM bukanlah sesuatu yang asing bagi Malaysia kerana ketika Sarawak berhadapan dengan ancaman komunis pada tahun 1970-an, Kawasan Keselamatan Rajang (RASCOM) secara khusus diujudkan untuk berhadapan dengan ancaman tersebut.
 
Sudah pasti ada yang mempersoalkan mengapa baru kini kerajaan menubuhkan ESSCOM sedangkan ancaman keselamatan memang sudah lama ujud seperti beberapa siri penculikan yang didalangi oleh kumpulan pengganas dari selatan Filipina.
 
Perlu ditekankan bahawa selama ini sememangnya ujud beberapa struktur keselamatan khas khusus untuk menangani isu keselamatan Sabah yang dianggap begitu mencabar dan unik. Mencabar kerana perairan terbuka sepanjang 1,400 kilometer begitu sukar untuk diawasi dan unik kerana komposisi penduduk Sabah yang mempunyai sejarah asal usul begitu menarik.
 
Operasi Padanan & Sipadan Island Resort atau lebih dikenali dengan nama singkatan Ops Pasir adalah salah satu struktur keselamatan yang diujudkan untuk berhadapan dengan ancaman khusus iaitu penculikan pelancong terutama sekali di pulau terpencil. Ops Pasir mula diperkenalkan pada tahun 2000 dan diuruskan oleh Markas Angkatan Bersama, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (MAB-ATM).
 

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