Mindef committed to Sabah, Sarawak security: Mat Sabu

Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Defence is committed to strengthening security in Sabah and Sarawak to curb external threats including transborder kidnapping, said its Minister Mohamad Sabu.

He said said the territorial sovereignty, security and prosperity of the people are a priority of the government. “Generally, the security of Sabah and Sarawak at present is regulated by operations by the military services namely the army, the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force,” Mohamad was quoted as saying by defence news website airtimes.my on Wednesday.

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Source: dailyexpress.com.my

Use legitimate routes: Marine police

LAHAD DATU: Those entering or leaving Sabah should use the legitimate routes, said Sabah Region 4 Marine Police Force Commander ACP Mohamad Pajeri Ali. He said this was a reminder to avoid mishaps and untoward incidents.

“We (Malaysia) has a system, exit and enter legally, for example there is a CIQ in Tawau or the Sandakan Port. But most use illegal routes from neighbouring countries, taking the easy way to run from the law without thinking about safety as anything can happen in the middle of the sea,’’ he said.

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Source: dailyexpress.com.my

‘No resurgence of kidnapping in Mindanao’

Roel Pareño

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Relentless military operations have prevented the resurgence of kidnapping in Mindanao.

Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said recent reports of kidnapping could be the handiwork of mid-level Abu Sayyaf leaders who are out to make a living.

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Source: philstar.com

Curfew in ESSZone extended until Nov 11

KOTA KINABALU: The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), which ends tomorrow, has been extended to Nov 7, said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah.

The curfew from 6 pm to 6 am covers the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran, he said in a statement today.

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Source: theborneopost.com

Abu Sayyaf holds three kidnapped Indonesians in Sulu village

By: Stefyanie Myla Micheal, Zam Yusa

Kota Kinabalu: The three Indonesian fishermen kidnapped in waters off Tambisan island, Kinabatangan on Sept 23, are being held by the Abu Sayyaf group led by a sub-leader wanted by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) in a village in Indanan town, Sulu, southern Philippines, Daily Express has been able to confirm.

A terrorism researcher at Jakarta-based think-tank Galatea, Ulta Levenia Nababan, said the kidnappers [MSN: I assume they mean the hostages] are currently being held by Salip Mura’s group.

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Source: dailyexpress.com.my

MPA Tables Major Cybersecurity Collaboration

By Max Schwerdtfeger

The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has tabled a proposal to form and lead an initiative to increase maritime security called the ‘Port Authorities Chief Information Officer Cybersecurity Network” (PACC-Net).

The proposal was made at the 5^th Edition of the Port Authorities (PAR) 2019 and the initiative will look to enhance cybersecurity awareness in the maritime sector and facilitate early sharing of cyber-attack information to counter threats.

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Source: porttechnology.org

Sabah police will not negotiate ransom demands made by Abu Sayyaf-linked kidnappers

KOTA KINABALU — The Malaysian police are working with their Philippine counterparts to secure the release of three Indonesian fishermen kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen off Lahad Datu on Sept 23.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said the kidnappers made their ransom demand during a call to one of the victim’s sisters in Sandakan on Sept 30.

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Source: globalnation.inquirer.net

Sabah east coast still on high alert for Abu Sayyaf kidnappers

By STEPHANIE LEE

KOTA KINABALU: Security forces in Sabah’s east coast remain on high alert a week into intelligence information saying that Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen were on their way to Sabah to kidnap high-value targets.

Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) Datuk Hazani Ghazali said they had mobilised their assets to high-risk areas and the alleged target area of Mataking and Pom-Pom island in Semporna, famed among tourists, following the information on Sept 30.

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Source: thestar.com.my

Kidnapping in the Sulu Sea: Implications on Terrorism in the Philippines

In the Sulu Seas, kidnap-for-ransom activities perpetrated by Islamic State-linked terrorist networks are on the rise again.

By Kenneth Yeo

On September 23, a group of seven gunmen aboard two pump boats ambushed and seized three fishermen off the coast of East Sabah, in a sign of how the Islamic State (IS) and its affiliated networks continue to trouble the Southeast Asian region. The latest attack follows a surge in ambushes and kidnappings in the last two years along the Sulu Seas, which encompasses the waters around Indonesia, Malaysia’s eastern Sabah state and the Philippines, and has long been a hotspot for piracy and sea robbery. Although there was no claim of responsibility, the attackers are said to be members of an Abu Sayyaf splinter group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) in Sulu province. It is believed the seven gunman, who were masked, boarded two fishing vessels around midday local time, and abducted three crew members.

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Source: thediplomat.com

Ransom demand made for kidnapped fishermen

By STEPHANIE LEE

KOTA KINABALU: The family of one of three recently abducted Indonesians fishermen has received a ransom demand from their kidnappers.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said according to their Philippines counterparts, the kidnappers had made the call a few days after the Sept 23 incident.

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Source: thestar.com.my