Sabah sea curfew extended to Aug 3

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s ongoing dusk-to-dawn sea curfew covering seven districts which will end on Wednesday (July 19) has been extended for another 14 days to Aug 3.

Under the curfew, residents in the districts of Sandakan, Beluran, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau are required to stay at home from 6pm to 6am.

Outsiders are also not allowed to enter the curfew zones which cover areas up to three nautical miles (5.55km) off the seven east-coast districts.

The curfew, which was extended for the 215th time under Section 31(4) of the Police Act 1967, was first implemented on July 16, 2014.

Sabah Police Commissioner Comm Datuk Jauteh Dikun stressed that the extension was necessary due to the lingering threats from cross-border criminals including kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) groups.

“The curfew is required to ensure that terrorists or criminals from the southern Philippines do not intrude into Malaysian waters,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (July 19).

“This will subsequently oversee the safety of international researchers or tourists visiting islands in Sabah.

“According to our intelligence sources, KFR groups as well as the Abu Sayyaf Group were still attempting to enter the country’s waters and carry out kidnapping activities as well as other cross-border crimes,” he added.

Comm Jauteh said the curfew will enable security forces to look after the safety of Sabahans and others who travel at sea and those living on land in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).

Besides that, he said, it will allow the authorities to enforce the law and monitor the movement of vessels as well as create a sense of security and confidence among chalet operators and fishermen through the presence of security vessels implementing this curfew.

“I have given the authority to the respective district police chiefs to issue permits to any applicant who fulfils the necessary requirements to conduct fishing activities or to ply the water routes in the curfew areas,” he added.

The curfew was enforced following a spate of kidnappings that saw the beheading of Sarawakian Bernard Then and the killing of several others, including a policeman and tourists.