Crime rate in ESSZone drops during MCO
SANDAKAN: Crime rate in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) dropped during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period, said Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) Chief Executive Officer, Noor Alam Khan Abdul Wahid Khan.
“Criminal activities on waters and land appeared to have reduced during this period. There has been very limited movement, so the crime rate has also reduced.
“We see that all the security agencies including the Royal Malaysian Police, Malaysia Civil Defence Force, RELA, and other agencies have been able to control (the security of) the land and sea effectively,” he said.
However, ESSCom has reported having, in collaboration with the Philippines’ security authorities, stopped an attempt by the kidnapfor-ransom group (KFRG) to enter Sabah on March 29, 2020.
Noor Alam said that ESSCom was still conducting its duty as usual during MCO, including MCO enforcement at sea.
“We do not want a certain party to take advantage of this and take the MCO lightly. We are still carrying out our duties,” he said this during ESSCom’s programme to distribute ‘bubur lambuk’(congee) to frontliners who are battling against Covid-19 during the MCO, including health personnel at the hospitals and health clinics, and police personnel at police stations together with the army and Rela at roadblocks.
“We are called to do this to show them support, and to show them that we acknowledge their hard work and their duties that involve great risk during this critical time.
“We, the ESSCom’s personnel also feel that we need to show them (frontliners) that we care, as we are a frontline agency that is also involved in ensuring the safety of the people, and ensuring that the MCO is obeyed in Sabah, especially in the East Coast,” he said.
Also present at the programme were ESSCom’s Head of Sea Operation Admiral Hamid Mohd Amin, Head of Operation Centre Brigadier General Hamzah Ali; Head of Air Operation Brigadier General Ayub Khan Mohd Khan, and Head of Special Team SAC Mohd Ali Tamby, as well as Commanding Officer of Beluran Battalion 20 General Operation Force (PGA BN 20 Beluran) ACP Mohd Nasaruddin M Nasir.