KOTA KINABALU: Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun has called on the relevant authorities to take serious steps to improve the state’s security.
Commenting on the latest kidnapping incident involving two women victims at Singamata Reef Resort in Semporna, Masidi said it is high time that the security measures be reviewed.
“The fact that it happened literally a stone’s throw away from Semporna should make the authorities do some serious soul-searching on whether the current security arrangement [can] address similar incidents in the future,” Masidi stressed.
Masidi also took Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar to task for suggesting that all resorts on small islands in the east coast of Sabah should be closed following the latest kidnapping incident.
“I am not sure whether the Deputy Minister knows where Singamata Resort is. It is not on an isolated island, it is on a reef not more than 1.5km from the town of Semporna. In fact you can see the resort from the mainland with your naked eyes,” Masidi said.
“It takes just about 15-20 minutes ride by boat from the Semporna jetty. While it is true that there is no 100 per cent guarantee of safety (of which there is none anywhere in the world), it is not an excuse for those in authority to ‘wash their hands off’ of the problem by suggesting a lame excuse,” Masidi stressed.
Wan Junadi was reported as saying that resorts on isolated islands should be closed following the latest abduction case and this should be done for the safety of their customers.
He pointed out that no one can guarantee the safety of these places when they are situated far off the coast and added that the police as well as military cannot be there all the time.
Meanwhile Upko Youth movement Chief Arthur Sen when commenting on Wan Junaidi’s statement was also of the opinion that the Home Ministry should not look for excuses for its failure to prevent the occurrence of abductions from Sabah’s east coast.
“The excuse that Sabah’s 1,400km coastline makes it difficult for the government to keep the east coast of the state safe is akin to a confession that the relevant authorities are unable to control and provide security to the people in that area,” Arthur said.
He stressed that Sabah is dependent on its tourism industry and incidents like this will cause those working in the industry to lose their source of income.
“All this must be taken into consideration when the government increases its security assets in the east coast,” Arthur added.
He opined that ESSCom must admit to its weaknesses and take immediate steps to improve because with all the sophisticated equipment and machinery it has, ESSCom should be ahead of the abductors.
“It is difficult to accept excuses made in order to cover up their own weaknesses,” he stressed.
In the abduction case which happened on Thursday, Chinese tourist Gao Huayun, 29 and Filipino worker Marcy Dayawan @ Mimi, 40 were taken by armed men from the Singamata Reef Resort in Semporna.