KUALA LUMPUR: Resort operators within the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) have reported an increase in tourist arrivals over the last year, a sign that tourist confidence has returned.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (pic) said the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) initiatives to strengthen security in the Esszone had increased the confidence of foreign tourists, especially those from China.
“Occupancy rates for resorts in the Esszone increased between 40% and 60% in the first eight months of 2015, and continued to increase up to 80% in the six months after that.
“Other efforts to strengthen security by Esscom also includes fish breeding farms and risky waters, and this has forced terrorists to change their modus operandi and target slow-moving vessels or low free board vessels instead,” he said in response to Lim Guan Eng (DAP – Bagan) in Parliament on Monday.
Shahidan also stated that Esscom had received increasing amounts of allocation for both management and development purposes since its inception in 2013.
“It first used an emergency allocation of RM3.5mil for management and RM2.5mil for development, both given by the Federal Government.
“This increased to RM7.5mil for management and another RM7.5mil for development in 2014, and in 2015, the allocation for Esscom was RM17mil for management and RM61mil for development,” he said.
Shahidan added that this year, Esscom received an allocation of RM21.4mil for management, but development allocation was reduced to RM26.6mil.
“This allocation is only for Esscom and does not include allocations to the Home Ministry, Defence Ministry and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
“Since Esscom was formed, four people related to the Sulu terrorists were shot dead, and 67 others have been arrested.
“It has also managed to prevent six kidnapping attempts in 2014, three in 2015 and another six attempts between January and May this year,” he said.
On the matter of four Malaysian crewmen kidnapped by armed Filipino gunmen near Pulau Ligitan in Sabah’s east coast two months ago, Shahidan said the Government was still negotiating their release.
“We are making efforts to bring them back, and so far our negotiations have been good.
“Officially, I can state that we are working with the Philippine government to save them, but I cannot state other details for security reasons,” he said.
On April 1, eight Filipino gunmen boarded the Malaysian registered vessel, MV Masfive near Pulau Ligitan, off the coast of Semporna, and took four Malaysian crewmen hostage.
The other foreign crew members – three Myanmar nationals and two Indonesians – were left unharmed.
