KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s security forces have been instructed to take another look at the use of pump boats in the state following yesterday’s kidnapping of three fishermen in waters off Lahad Datu, near the Malaysian-Philippine border.
State police chief Omar Mammah said Chief Minister Shafie Apdal contacted him soon after masked gunmen used two pump boats to approach two fishing vessels and escaped with the trio and their boat to the Tawi-Tawi chain of islands in the southern Philippines.
“I have been instructed by the chief minister to re-study the use of pump boats.
“We will discuss with other security agencies as well as the community on the ground for feedback and will come back with our recommendations in the near future.
“Maybe there will be a review (by the state government) on the usage of pump boats but let’s wait. We will get the comments and views for now,” he told reporters at the Sabah police contingent headquarters in Kepayan here today.
Omar had in Sept last year said the use of pump boats was still being studied as the state government has allowed its use by small-scale fishermen along coastal areas but not in open sea.
Prior to that, Shafie had announced that the state government would lift the ban on the usage of pump boats to help poor fishermen in coastal areas.
The use of pump boats was outlawed by the previous Barisan Nasional administration in April 2016 to enhance security in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone)
Yesterday, seven masked gunmen in army fatigues used two pump boats, both powered by three engines, to approach shrimp fishing boats at Gem Reef waters off Tambisan, Lahad Datu, at noon.
The three victims have been identified as Maharudin Lunani, 48, Samiun Maniu, and Muhammas Farhan, both aged 27.
Omar said the kidnappers had earlier boarded another boat which had carried two locals and two foreigners.
The gunmen only took, at gunpoint, mobile phones, some cash and identification documents from the men before going to the second boat, where the three victims were. The owners of both boats are based in Sandakan.
One of the locals on the first boat, aged 43, who lodged a police report later, told police he saw the second boat moving towards the Philippine side not long after the gunmen boarded the vessel.
“They were armed with AK-47 and M16 rifles, and a pistol. The kidnappers spoke in Malay when speaking to us but communicated in Suluk among themselves.
Omar said: “We believe these gunmen are more of a kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) group instead of an Abu Sayyaf terror group. But we are still probing.” He said the kidnappers had yet to contact the employers or next-of-kin to seek payment.
He said police were still trying to establish if the kidnappers were linked to two suspected kidnappers who were shot dead in Lahad Datu waters on Sept 3.
Asked about the apparent sudden rise in the number of intrusions by KFR groups into Sabah, he said security agencies were doing their best to secure the east coast including the place where yesterday’s incident took place.
“The location of the incident is quite far from our posts but nonetheless there are constant patrols by multiple security agencies, not only the police. But sometimes these criminals know when the opportunities are there for them to strike,” he said.
Omar noted that the Eastern Sabah Security Command, for instance, had foiled several kidnapping attempts previously.
He added that police here were in constant communication with their counterparts in the Philippines over the kidnapping and the whereabouts of the fishermen. - FMT
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