PDRM, Philippines begin first bilateral meeting on Sabah's east coast security

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din said among the issues to be discussed during the three-day meeting was the hot pursuit of criminals by Malaysian security forces into Philippine waters.

"We will discuss in detail (cross-border pursuits) at this meeting. Basically, that was what was agreed on (between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak), but we need to find the proper mechanism to implement it.

"After the meeting between President Duterte and our prime minister, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar went to the Philippines on Dec 21 to 23, last year to discuss the matter with his counterpart there and since then, we (Sabah police contingent) had taken the initiative to conduct an initial meeting," he told reporters after opening the meeting.

Ramli said the meeting would also discuss plans to form a joint enforcement group and on intelligence-sharing.

On Nov 10, Najib said that during a bilateral meeting in conjunction with the Philippine president's official visit to Malaysia on Nov 8 to 9, Duterte granted permission for Malaysian vessels to pursue kidnappers beyond the Malaysian border into the Philippine waters.

On another development, Ramli said PDRM was making efforts to retrieve a Sandakan-registered fishing vessel in the southern Philippines when it was found on Jan 19 without three of its Indonesian crew on board.

"We tried to bring the vessel back to Malaysia yesterday. But due to bad weather and choppy waters, we postponed the effort to today," he said.

He added that no further information had been received on the Indonesian fishermen and the security forces of both countries continued to work together to locate the fishermen.

Meanwhile, director of the PNP Maritime Group, Chief Supt Edmund A. Gonzales expected a fruitful meeting with more collaborations and joint coordinated patrols to be carried out soon.