Sabah CM wants surveillance to be beefed up as Philippines poll nears

 By Olivia Miwil - February 28, 2022 @ 4:46pm

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor during the briefing at the Sabah Police Contingent conference room. - Picture courtesy of Sabah Chief Minister's office.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has instructed the police to beef up surveillance in the state in the run-up to the Phillippines presidential election.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said he wanted the police to monitor the situation since the issue of Sabah claim was always a hot topic used by the Philippines presidential candidates to garner support from voters.

"There will be (political) heat from the Philippines presidential election which will be held on May 9.

"It needs to be monitored closely by our police, especially the Special Branch," he said in a statement after a working visit to the Sabah police contingent headquarters in Kepayan near here.

Another issue raised during the meeting was the reinstatement of a ban on pump boats in Sabah which was approved by the State Security Committee last year.

The Chief Minister also requested the police to prepare a paper on the matter to be presented during the State Security meeting this year because he said alternatives must be given in order for the ban to be executed.

On the issue of Sabah being used as a transit point for illicit drug trafficking, Hajiji hoped the police would continue to monitor the situation because the spillover of the illegal substances into the state would create major social issues.

He also directed State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong who was present at the briefing to look into the land application to build a new base for the marine police in the state capital and for the Nabawan General Operations Force base.

"The applications must be given priority because this involves security and the state's sovereignty," he said.

As for the firearms licences, Hajiji agreed that the power for approval should be given to the Sabah Commissioner of Police as how it is being done in Sarawak.

"I will bring up the matter to the Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister," he said.

Also present were State Federal Secretary Datuk Sarul Bahiyah Abu, State Internal Affairs and Research Secretary Datuk Awang Shaminan Sahari as well as senior Sabah police officers including Deputy police commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun.