Sack Home Minister, Esscom Heads Over Mabul Assault, DAP Tells PM

Details Published on Monday, 14 July 2014 15:06

Teresa KokKUALA LUMPUR - Datuk Seri Najib Razak must not compromise and remove the home minister and all those who are in charge of the East Sabah Security Command (Esscom), for failing to secure the porous waters off Sabahs east coast over the past year, DAPs Teresa Kok said today.

The vice-chair of the opposition party criticised the prime minister for allegedly making excuses for the poor management of Esscom formed in March last year following the assault on Lahad Datu by armed militants from the South Philippines by saying that the offshore security outfit was understaffed.

She added that it was unacceptable for the federal government to still be talking about personnel deployment when the region had already suffered a string of abductions over the past nine months.

The prime minister should have expressed his disappointment and even anger that there could still exist such weakness and problems, Kok said in a statement.

In fact, he should reject such explanations and take tough actions on this latest security breach. Heads must roll and if a new home minister needs to be appointed, Najib must do it without hesitation and delay, the Seputeh MP added.

Najib was quoted by national news wire Bernama as saying last night that it was clear there are weaknesses in the deployment of personnel and security planning by Esscom, after gunmen launched an assault on the resort island of Mabul off Semporna on Saturday, killing marine policeman Corporal Abdul Rajah Jamuan.

His colleague, constable Zakia Alip, is believed to have been abducted by Filipino gunmen.

I am asking Essscom to review their security system in detail, if there are not enough personnel, then the number has to be increased.

For instance, in the incident at the resort yesterday, there were not enough personnel as the resort is big and this shows there are weaknesses in the location and planning of security on the ground, Najib was quoted saying.

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Sack Home Minister, Esscom Heads Over Mabul Assault, DAP Tells PM