Sabah suspends all barter trades, oil and gas activities within ESSZONE
Musa says the government has instructed the security teams to act on any individual, boat or ship which violates ESSZONE rules.
The Sabah state government has unanimously agreed to immediately suspend all barter trade activities as well as commercial petroleum and gas activities within the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE).
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said this was a proactive measure taken to curb kidnapping and abduction cases within the state’s waters.
The usage of ports in Kudat district to ferry passengers between Sabah and Palawan in the Philippines are also suspended with immediate effect, he said.
“The decision to suspend barter trades and petroleum and gas shipping activities within ESSZONE shows that the government will no longer compromise on security issues.
“Curfew enforcement in the east coast will also be modified and to take effect immediately,” he told a media conference after chairing the State Cabinet meeting here today.
Musa said, the government has instructed the security teams to act on any individual, boat or ship which violates ESSZONE rules.
He stressed that decisions were made following several abduction cases in the Sabah east coast, particularly after the latest incident of four Malaysians being abducted by eight gunmen off Pulau Ligitan, Semporna on April 1.
In the incident at 6.15pm, four Malaysians from Sarawak were kidnapped by eight armed men while travelling on a tug boat from Manila to Malaysia.
The Malaysians are Wong Teck Kang, 31, Wong Hung Sing, 34, Wong Teck Chii, 29, and Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21.
Following the incident, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak had called on the ESSCom to enhance and strengthen its intelligence work to obtain the latest information on the ESSZone.
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