THE east coast of Sabah’s economic and investment sector is still affected by the Lahad Datu incident more than a decade ago, former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee said.

He noted that investors, especially from Japan and South Korea, were not allowed to enter certain areas due to travel advisories issued by their countries, adding that as Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) Sabah Sdn Bhd chairman, he had seen the advisories classifying the region a black area.

“I told them that the area is safe to invest, but they still do not want to come.

“The west coast and Kota Kinabalu is their target, even though the incident in Lahad Datu was long ago.

“It still has an impact on the economy of Sabah, especially the business and investment sector,” he said.

Sulu insurgents launched in incursion into Malaysia on February 11, 2013, in what was to become known as the Lahad Datu incursion.

By the end of the conflict on April 10, 2013, 10 Malaysian soldiers and 68 insurgents lay dead.

Yong, still serving as an assemblyman, said that currently the security level in Sabah was under control and satisfactory, due in no small part to the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom).

“Despite the high level of security in Sabah, we know that the state, especially on the east coast, is still threatened by outside elements.

“That is why we’re still imposing curfews at night because ESSCom is unable to control security due to limited assets.

“Therefore, the government needs to take this matter seriously and further strengthen ESSCom so that there is no longer a need for a curfew,” he said.

Kunak assemblyman Norazlinah Arif urged the government to improve security in Sabah – especially in the Eastern Sabah Safe Zone (ESSZone) – and ensure economic growth.

“The government has spent a lot of money to battling those claiming to be Sulu heirs and it would be better if this money is spent to improve security in Sabah, to convince the people and foreign investors,” he said.

Former Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said security in Sabah was not threatened with the presence of the ESSCom, but the influx of illegal immigrants was ongoing with no solution insight.

He said that if the influx continues, it could pose a security threat, because some of them could be terrorists infiltrating the state, as was the case previously.

“There must be a solution. The Sabah government must find methods, such as providing them with documents to know their whereabouts, and strict monitoring of the workforce in the state,” he explained. – Bernama, May 6, 2023.