KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian government should establish a closer working relationship with the Philippine government and, if possible, draft an agreement or understanding to allow enforcement personnel or officers to cross the border in the event of an abduction.
Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang said it was very easy for kidnappers to bring their victims out of the country as the boundary between both countries was very near.
“Once they (kidnappers) enter Philippine waters, there is nothing we can do.”
Hence, Teo said it was important for the Malaysian and Philippine governments to establish a closer working relationship and to have an agreement to allow enforcement personnel to cross the border.
“I think we have to look into this through a diplomatic avenue.
“Of course, we will have to reciprocate to a certain extent,” he said when asked by the media after officiating at the Second Malaysian Christian Holistic Care Conference at the Sabah Theological Seminary (STS) here yesterday.
A 32-year-old Malaysian Chinese fish farm operator, Chan Sai Chiun, and a Filipino worker in his 20s, Mazlan, were abducted by two masked and armed kidnappers from a fish farm at Kampung Air Sapang in Kunak at 12.40am on June 16.
It was disheartening to hear about another abduction, the third in the past three months, Teo said.
He said the government, through the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom), Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs, have put in considerable effort such as increasing assets and tightening border security following previous abductions, but these measures seem to be insufficient.
“I think all the authorities concerned should sit down and consolidate…to really look into and find ways, including working closely with the Philippine authorities, to curb this problem once and for all,” Teo said.
As for the call for ESSCom director-general Datuk Mohammad Mentek to step down, Teo declined to comment.
“I believe the authorities concerned should know what steps need to be taken in order to further strengthen our security,” he said.