Only foreigners with documents
Published on: Friday, May 25, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: Various measures are being planned to strengthen security and enhance the wellbeing of people in Sabah, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal. Among them is ensuring that those coming into the State from Indonesia and Philippines have legal papers so as to combat cross-border crime, especially in Sabah's East Coast. "They need to have documents from their country of origin not only for visiting their relatives here but also for work purposes.
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"They are not Malaysians but they must have proper documents. Malaysians who go to Indonesia need to have passports, so Indonesians and Filipinos coming here also need to have passports," he said, during a breaking of fast ceremony at IPK Sabah on Wednesday, where he also attended a safety briefing from Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din. Shafie also announced plans to legalise the use of pump boats to help poor fishermen at the grassroots level."Fishing is their main source of income but some of the fishermen cannot afford to buy expensive boats. This is one step that may be taken to overcome the issue.
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"If these pump boats are used as tools to commit crime, we will create our own pump boats to chase the criminals in shallow waters." Shafie also emphasised that the community's inclusiveness with security forces is vital to not only improve safety in Sabah but also to enhance people's lives. He said when safety is well taken care of, people will reap far bigger benefits.
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He said an example is the increase of tourists coming to Sabah's East Coast, as it not only means a rise in job opportunities but the community's income. However, this was only possible through tightened security. The effectiveness of the curfew in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) would be monitored to determine whether it should be continued."Hence, there should be togetherness between security forces and the local community. We should take an approach which shows that security forces are not only an umbrella of safety for the people, but also their friends," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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