PETALING JAYA: Asean must form a special taskforce to eradicate the Abu Sayyaf militants and resolve the security crisis off the coast of Sabah.
MCA central committee member Datuk Paul Kong Sing Chu said the “escalating fear of abduction has engulfed the whole region”.
The proposed special taskforce, he said, should comprise relevant countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, and draw up emergency plans to uproot the Abu Sayyaf militant base.
“The current security measures implemented by the (Malaysian) police force can no longer ensure the safety of tourists and the people of Sabah.“Kidnap, ransom demand, negotiation and ransom payment were the standard modus operandi of Abu Sayyaf militants.
“They have cast Malaysia in a bad light for making it their ‘ATM machine’.
“This vicious cycle has to be stopped as Sabahans have had enough of this threat,” said Kong, who is also a party presidential council member, in a statement yesterday.
He added that more vigorous actions were needed by the Government and the police to curb the security crisis.
Asean could learn from others in the international arena such as in tackling Somali pirates, he added.
Among the efforts taken to combat the Somali pirates are the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s Operation Ocean Shield with its partner countries; the European Union’s actions in Atlanta with the partner countries; the 151 United Action Group by the United States and its allies; and the individual and joint efforts of China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and other countries.
“Ultimately, all these actions successfully reduced the Somali piracy problem.
“It is only through joint actions that Abu Sayyaf militants could be completely destroyed to restore the safety and peace of Sabah,” said Kong.
Last Saturday, Abu Sayyaf-linked kidnap-for-ransom militants intruded into Sabah waters again and kidnapped three Indonesians.
Source: thestar
