TAWAU: A local social activist has urged the relevant authorities to act tough on boats and vessels entering Semporna waters by tightening checks on the substance they carry.
Salman Nurillah said it was crucial for the enforcement authorities to not just concentrate on intercepting illegal entry by foreigners via boats and vessels.
“The boats and vessels could be carrying concealed firearms. We cannot be lax in this issue. The latest kidnap case at Singamata Adventures Reef and Resort by armed men should be a stern reminder to us,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
According to him, the kidnappers could have smuggled in the weapons earlier, by boat or other vessels prior to the incident.
“The smooth execution of the cross border crime seems to indicate that firearms could be easily smuggled in, undetected,” he said.
Salman, a former civil servant who holds a law degree from the University of Malaya and a masters degree from UiTM, also urged the attorney general to accord more authority to the Eastern Sabah Security Command (EssCom) director general.
He said it was crucial for EssCom to have more clout to effectively safeguard the people’s security and country’s sovereignty. – Bernama