The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), scheduled to end at 6 pm tomorrow, has been extended until Sept 17, according to Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali.

He said with the extension, residents in the areas were not allowed to enter the waters and were required to stay home between 6 pm and 6 am during the curfew.

The seven districts are Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran.

According to Hazani, the curfew was to facilitate enforcement and monitoring on the movements of boats and for the chalet operators and fishermen to feel safe with the presence of the security force vessels in the vicinity.

“The extension of the curfew was to ensure the waters would not be encroached by terrorists, which could threaten the security of international researchers conducting research, as well as tourists on the resort islands,” he said in a statement today.

He said this was because militant groups involved in kidnapping for ransom from the southern Philippines, including Abu Sayyaf group, were still trying to carry out kidnapping and cross-border crime.

Hazani said all district police chiefs in the affected areas had also been authorised to issue permits to eligible applicants for fishing activities or to attend urgent matters during the curfew.

-- BERNAMA