LAHAD DATU: The small town of Bandar Cenderawasih in Felda Sahabat resembled a ghost town. Shops were shuttered, streets deserted. But not all was quiet as by sharp cracks of gunshots and muffled booms of explosions reverberated through the town.
Roughly 25km away, Malaysian security forces were engaged in a deadly armed battle with Sulu gunmen in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu.
Twelve years on, those sounds still ring clearly in the mind of Nurmilin Ab Rasul, a local food vendor from Felda Sahabat.
“It was really, really scary,” said the 42-year-old, recalling the armed intrusion more than a decade ago.
“We could hear bombs and gunshots from Anjung Teduh to Sahabat 17, it was so close. I had small children then, and every sound made us jump.”
During the 2013 incursion, more than 200 armed militants from southern Philippines landed in Kampung Tanduo near Lahad Datu. Residents across Felda Sahabat were confined to their homes as army trucks and armoured vehicles filled the streets.
“The whole town was quiet. No one dared to go out,” she said. “We couldn’t open our stall or move around. For two or three months, everything stopped. The economy here was really bad.”
Her family, like many others, relied on savings and help from neighbours to get by.
“We had nothing, no customers, no income. We were just trying to stay safe,” she said.
It took years for life and confidence to return.
“After things were cleaned up, we started little by little. I only began selling again in 2020,” she said.
“Now, Alhamdulillah, business is good. People come every day. I can work and live peacefully again.”
She said the town now comes alive during payday.
“When it’s gaji time, this place is full, really packed. Everyone comes out shopping and eating. It’s lively again,” she said.
Nurmilin credits her renewed sense of safety to the strong military presence in Felda Sahabat.
“There are army camps everywhere, Sahabat 7, 16, 17, and the troops rotate every three months,” she said. “We really feel protected. That’s why I’m grateful. The army keeps us safe.”
The 2013 tragedy left 10 security personnel members and 68 intruders dead after the military launched Ops Daulat to reclaim the area. Hundreds of families were displaced, and the local economy was crippled.
Another resident, Ismail Ibrahim, said the memories still linger.
“We couldn’t work or go out. Everyone was terrified,” he said. “We survived on my father’s salary. But now, with patrols and checkpoints, we can finally sleep peacefully.”
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Monday last week that ongoing operations in Sabah's East coast, especially Op Pasir were crucial not only for border protection but also for economic stability.
“With structured security sectors in place, we can maintain Sabah’s economic activities,” he said. “Without such measures, smuggling and other threats could return and disrupt livelihoods.”
Today, Tanduo’s red security post stands firm, a symbol of resilience and recovery. In Bandar Cenderawasih, the once silent town has come alive again with the sounds of trucks, schoolchildren, and small traders returning to their routines.
“Back then, every loud sound made us panic,” Nurmilin said. “Now, when I hear the trucks, I feel at peace. Tanduo taught us to be grateful, to value what we have.”
