PORT KLANG, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said he believed that the murder of a Taiwanese man and the abduction of his wife in Pulau Pom Pom off Sabah would not deter the government's implementation of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) and Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE).
ESSCOM was meant to counter insurgency, like the intrusion of terrorists from the southern Philippines in Lahad Datu last February, a bigger threat than isolated incidents, he told reporters after launching four new quay cranes at Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, here, Monday.
He was asked to comment on the murder and abduction last Friday in the ESSZONE.
The incident in Semporna was in the hands of the police and the military was working closely with them, he said.
He also said that the area under ESSZONE, involving 1,400 km of the eastern Sabah coastline, was tough to monitor by ESSCOM as it involved three different zones, international waters, Malaysian waters and the coastline.
The establishment of ESSCOM was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last March during a visit to Lahad Datu during Ops Daulat to quash the Sulu intruders in the district.
ESSCOM, which is headed by director-general Datuk Mohammad Mentek, is the enforcement agency in ESSZONE, which includes 10 districts, namely Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau. BERNAMA
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