KOTA KINABALU: Informers continue to be among the biggest challenges faced by security forces protecting Sabah’s east coast from cross-border criminals.
Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) Intelligence Division deputy chief of staff (armed forces) Syed Zulkiflee Syed Abdul Rahman said the presence of such informers in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) meant that criminals would be a step ahead.
Based on tip-offs from such informers, he said criminals such as kidnappers, terrorists, smugglers and fish bombers would know about a change of shift among security forces, the location of empty patrol posts, safe routes or when an area “is clear”.
The cooperation between informers and criminals was based on “supply and demand” and motivated by money, he said at a talk during the “Kita Demi Negara” programme here yesterday.
“So, who are these informers? They are ‘locals’ living in the east coast,” he said, adding that the definition of “locals” in Sabah was “somewhat blurred”.
For example, he said, there were people born and bred in this state but without proper identification documents, as they were the offspring of illegal immigrants who had settled down in Sabah.
Not all Sabahans would acknowledge them as “people of Sabah”, he added.
Zulkiflee urged the public, especially those living in the east coast, to be the eyes and ears for security forces, and not even think of becoming informers and “traitors” to the country.
“I am an intelligence officer, meaning I do intelligence and spy jobs, so I am calling all of you here today to be our little spies, to be our spies to help protect the sovereignty of this nation.
“This is the only way we can secure our nation, our homes and our families,” he said.
Zulkiflee also spoke about other threats such as those from Abu Sayyaf kidnappers, Royal Sulu Force militants and the presence of backdoor and uncharted routes into Sabah.
“However, with Esscom in place and strong connections with our intelligence sources and partners, we are able to bring down the number of cases,” he said.
Citing the example of kidnap-for-ransom cases, he said there had been zero kidnappings in Sabah since 2019, proving that the ongoing efforts by security forces and the community were on the right path.
“This also shows that Sabah’s east coast areas, which house some of the best diving and tourism sites, are safe to visit,” he added.
He also spoke about international border disputes and claims on Sabah from nations such as Indonesia and the Philippines, which added to the challenges faced by security forces.
But as long as security forces were in place at the Esszone, Zulkiflee said the place would be protected.
“Let us all work together to keep our nation safe. I am from Johor but I have been in Sabah for several years and we must stay united to safeguard the sovereignty of our country,” he added.
