Ministry to boost Sabah assets based on Budget
SANDAKAN: Defence assets in Sabah will be increased according to the allocation under the 2019 Budget, said Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu.
Bernama reported that he said details of the matter would be reviewed from time to time, adding that the allocation for the Defence Ministry would not be reduced so that current assets could be properly maintained.
“The assets which are old will be replaced according to our capabilities,” he said after the Sabah Amanah Convention here yesterday.
Mohamad said he took Sabahrelated matters, including security concerns and tourist safety, seriously.
“There have been attempts (criminal elements), but with the joint security patrols involving Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines at the border, there are fewer threats now,” he said adding generally the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) had been peaceful.
Meanwhile, Mohamad reminded Muslims to be cautious and not to be easily swayed by racial and religious sentiments being played up by supporters of the former adminis- tration.
He said the group had intentionally used this method to appeal to Muslim sentiments, thus diverting people’s attention from their leaders’ corruption issues.
“We (Pakatan Harapan) had just taken over the administration for six months. There is no better way for them (supporters of the previous administration) to rise immediately except through racial and religious issues.
“It is easy to stoke sentiments through talk, so we have to be knowledgeable and careful.”
He said Malaysians should be aware of the spillover effects of stoking such sentiments as experienced by some Muslim countries, including Syria, Libya, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.