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Security forces thwart yet another attempt to encroach into <b>Sabah</b> <b>...</b> Berita Sabah - News 2 Sabah

Security forces thwart yet another attempt to encroach into <b>Sabah</b> <b>...</b>

Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:18 AM PST

LAHAD DATU: The security forces have thwarted yet another attempt by certain quarters to encroach into the waters off Sabah's east coast, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday.

He said the attempt was made at the end of last month and the security forces nipped it in the bud.

"We are always at the ready to face any eventuality," he told reporters after a visit to the security post on Pulau Adal near here. Accompanying Khalid were Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) director-general Datuk Mohammad Mentek.

Without elaborating, Khalid said the security forces would not give any room to anyone at all to encroach into the country and commit crime.

Last December, the security forces foiled an attempt by certain quarters to encroach into the state.

On the visit, Khalid said the security forces wanted to increase the number of security posts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) to strengthen security in the area.

"We have identified several strategic spots. Our target is to establish more than 40 integrated security posts in the ESSZone," he said.

He also said that the security forces were satisfied with the preparedness of the security personnel tasked with ensuring security in the ESSZone.

"I notice that the security personnel serving at the integrated security posts are always ready to face any eventuality," he said.

Prior to visiting the security posts, including at the Mataking and Pom Pom islands, Khalid also visited the new ESSCom office in Lahad Datu town. — Bernama

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RM294 million allocated for <b>Sabah</b>, Sarawak oil palm smallholders <b>...</b>

Posted: 16 Dec 2013 09:57 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) has allocated RM294 million for smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak for 2014 to replant and plant new oil palms involving 35,000 hectares of land under the government's National Key Economic Area (NKEA).

Its minister, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, said 5,000 hectares would be in Sabah while another 30,000 hectares would be in Sarawak.

"The government will continue its effort to encourage more smallholders to replant and plant new oil palms.

Under this programme, MPIC will provide assistance of RM9, 000 per hectare to cover costs, seedlings, clearing, and also for fertilizers.

"We are also looking at the other challenges in the oil palm industry, such as issues in fertilizers, mills and also the dependence on foreign workers," he said to reporters after launching the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Complex at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP), yesterday.

With the setting up of the complex, Uggah said the ministry was hoping it would help the industry move towards good agriculture practice.

Realising the importance of competitive human capital in order to carry the national transformation programme, he said the ministry had also set up Institute of Malaysian Plantation and Commodities (Impac) in 2010.

The institute is responsible in implementing courses under the ministry.

During the event, a total of 230 Impac graduates from Sabah received their diplomas and certificates after successfully graduating from various programmes under Impac.

"MPOB has built Pusat Latihan Industri Sawit (Plasma) Lahad Datu at a cost of RM5 million, and a hostel costing RM9 million. Another Plasma has been set up in Keratong Pahang, with a total cost of RM35,030,351.

"Since 2000, MPOB has trained 15,000, while about 105 companies have benefited from the programmes organized by MPOB," he added.

Earlier in his speech, Uggah said the industry had contributed RM73.3 billion to Malaysia's export earnings from the 5.08 million hectares of oil palm plantations.

Sabah, he said had the largest plantation in Malaysia with 1.46 hectares, where 12.8 per cent of the total plantations were being cultivated by smallholders.

The newly launched MPOB Complex, costing RM4.6 million, would be an information centre for industry players seeking more information or the latest developments in the industry, he said.

Also present at the event yesterday were MPOB chairman Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, Minister of Community Development and Consumer Affairs Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid, Deputy Minister of MPIC Datuk Noriah Kasnon, Assistant Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Bolkiah Ismail and director general of MPOB Datuk Choo Yuen May.

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<b>Sabah</b> declares war on poachers - The Borneo Post Online

Posted: 11 Dec 2013 03:40 PM PST

KOTA KINABALU: Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun has issued an all-out call to address the issue of wildlife poaching and trading in Sabah to the fullest extent of the law after the arrest of three sellers yesterday.

"The war on illegal wildlife trade and poaching has just begun, so hunters and poachers in Sabah be warned that there will be no compromise as we will be prosecuting and we will charge them to the highest extent of the law. Be ready to go to jail," warned Masidi.

The minister was commenting on the successful sting operation carried out by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) on Wednesday morning at the tamu grounds of Nabawan town, which caught three individuals.

"A total of 145 kilograms of Sambar deer meat and 15 kilograms of Barking deer meat were confiscated by our wildlife rangers as they were being sold without valid permits," said Benedict Jani, officer-in-charge of SWD office in Keningau.

However, three other traders managed to get away after the first two were apprehended along with a third individual who resisted arrest and was preventing SWD officers from confiscating the meat, added Jani.

"Nabawan district has become a hotspot for the sale of illegal bushmeat in recent years due to the vast road networks all the way to Tawau and we will not be surprised if this bushmeat was illegally hunted in Maliau Basin or as far as some protected forest reserves in Tawau and Lahad Datu," shared Jani.

The SWD has been clamping down on such activities and currently has 10 similar cases pending prosecution, according to Jani.

The samples of the confiscated meat will also be sent to our Wildlife Health, Genetic and Forensic Laboratory for genetic analysis to confirm the species of wildlife, according to Dr Sen Nathan, assistant director of SWD and also a wildlife veterinarian.

"We would also be conducting analysis to see if there are any viruses or bacteria found in the confiscated meat that could be hazardous to human health which is also a concern for the department," said Sen.

In addition, the director of SWD, Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu, has stated that the SWD will be increasing regular surveillance on all districts in Sabah for illegal poaching and trading by beefing up its wildlife enforcement capabilities and efficiency by setting up a separate unit.

"We want to follow the template of our very successful Wildlife Rescue Unit and we need about RM2 million to get the Wildlife Enforcement Unit underway with at least five fully modified four-wheel drive vehicles, 500 camera traps, unmanned drones for the team of 20 wildlife enforcement rangers," said Laurentius.

"The operation in Nabawan is just the beginning, we will arrest you for poaching and selling wildlife illegally," he said unequivocally.

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Call for high security IC in <b>Sabah</b> - The Borneo Post Online

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 03:51 PM PST

KOTA KINABALU: STAR Sabah is urging the State government to implement the high tech, high-security identity card (IC) for Sabah as it is workable to secure the State's sovereignty and weed out fake ICs and MyKads.

STAR Sabah chief Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan made the proposal yesterday following the recent Federal government's decision to issue the uniform high-security identification card for all government staff in a move to check impersonation and forging of identification documents of government employees.

"The civil servant's high-tech ID which can be ready in 30 minutes and the recent Home Ministry's plan to issue 2.5 million i-Kad with biometric security features for foreign workers proves that a high-tech, high security Sabah IC can be used to resolve the long-standing illegal immigrant problem in Sabah.

"The fake ICs and MyKads have even surfaced in the Peninsula with the emergence of fake Sabahans, foreigners holding fake ICs impersonating Sabahans," he said in a statement.

With the failure of the federal government to resolve the problem, Jeffrey said, the legal and moral duty to protect and safeguard Sabah's sovereignty and security and to safeguard the rights and interests of genuine Sabahans now rests with the Sabah government.

As such, he proposed that the State government initiate steps now to implement the high-tech, high security ID for Sabahans and another similar ID for all non-Sabahan residents in Sabah.

"From legal sources, the Sabah government has the authority to issue the Sabah IC and there are no prohibitions under the Federal Constitution.

"The Sabah IC and non-Sabahan Resident ID is the only way to ensure that the security and sovereignty of Sabah and genuine Sabahans are genuinely protected," stressed Jeffrey.

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