Keselamatan Sabah seperti bom jangka

KOTA KINABALU: Rombakan Esscom bagi meningkatkan tahap keselamatan di Sabah demi membendung penculikan berulang dan serangan rentas sempadan dilakukan berikutan kritikan orang ramai yang semakin memuncak kerana kegagalan badan itu.

“Rantaian perintah yang dirombak masih tidak jelas. Jika polis yang kini memimpinnya, apakah itu bererti jawatan Ketua Pengarah Esscom kini tidak penting lagi?” tanya Pengerusi STAR Sabah, Jeffrey Kitingan ketika ditanya mengenai reaksi beliau terhadap penyusunan semula Esscom.

“Siapakah sebenarnya yang bertanggungjawab terhadap keselamatan Sabah? Dan apa pula peranan dan tanggungjawab Ketua Menteri Sabah sebagai pengerusi keselamatan negeri ?”

“Najib harus ingat,” kata Jeffrey yang juga ADUN Bingkor, “bahawa ancaman terhadap keselamatan Sabah dan negara berpunca dari dalam negeri Sabah dan bukan dari luar.”

Katanya lagi,”Ancaman keselamatan seperti penculikan dan serangan rentas sempadan adalah disebabkan oleh dasar-dasar dan tindakan kerajaan persekutuan membantu dan ‘menyalurkan’ senjata kepada pemberontak Islam di selatan Filipina serta mengeluarkan kad pengenalan Malaysia secara haram kepada mereka untuk tujuan politik.”

Sehubungan itu beliau bertanya bagaimana kerajaan persekutuan menangani potensi bahaya itu tanpa laporan RCI dan cadangan serta solusi yang disarankan untuk dilaksanakan.

“Sudah tiba masanya untuk kerajaan persekutuan menjadi lebih telus dalam rancangan menangani masalah keselamatan dan isu pendatang asing tanpa izin di Sabah dan tidak menganggap kemelut itu sebagai masalah kecil atau cuma sebagai aktiviti perhubungan awam.”

Pengganas hanyalah sebahagian kecil daripada masalah sebenar

“Kita sudah kesuntukkan masa dan hanya menunggu bom jangka untuk meletup di Sabah,”kata Jeffrey memberi amaran.

“Penangkapan dua suspek militan baru-baru ini, dikatakan dari Kampung Titingan di Tawau, Sabah (walaupun dinafikan oleh ketua kampung) dan penangkapan yang dilakukan oleh tentera laut serta kakitangan keselamatan, disyaki ada kaitan dengan pengganas dan ia hanyalah sebahagian kecil daripada masalah sebenar.”

Najib ketika mengumumkan penstrukturan semula Esscom berkata, Esscom akan mempunyai dua komponen utama – keselamatan dan pengurusan pertahanan, dan penguatkuasaan serta tindakan awam.

Asean countries should hold interfaith talks to resolve issues

A consultation group on religious freedom has recommended that Asean countries initiate interfaith dialogues to enhance understanding and appreciation of the diverse traditions of its people and to resolve critical issues.

The group also said Asean should enlist the help of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and invite him to visit these countries, especially Myanmar and Malaysia.

These were among the key recommendations made during a two-day meeting on religious freedom in the Asean region held earlier this month.

 

The meeting, hosted by the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) and the Association for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham), reviewed the guidelines prepared by the Indonesian Human Rights Working Group entitled “How to promote and protect the freedom of religion or belief in the Asean region?”

In a joint press statement, GMM chief executive Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and Proham secretary-general Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria said the other recommendations included a suggestion for Asean to establish a high-level taskforce on religious freedom which will review and address major grievances and violations.

“It was felt that the principles of mutual respect, moderation and greater appreciation of human rights are a potential way forward,” they said.

The group also recommended that Asean establish a human rights court.

Among the observations made during the meeting was that Asean countries have been witnessing many difficult periods of conflicts between communities over religious freedom.

The group also noted that there have been reports of suffering and violations experienced by the Rohingya community in Myanmar, and of issues confronting Muslim women and unresolved concerns of religious minorities in Malaysia.

The group noted that Asean had formulated a human rights declaration which included the protection of religious freedom, and the elimination of intolerance, discrimination and incitement of hatred based on religion and belief.

“This provides a consensus decision on the promotion and protection of religious freedom or belief in the Asean region,” Saifuddin and Denison said in a statement.

The UN Special Rapporteur for freedom of religion or belief Heiner Bielefeldt had recently voiced his concern over the ban on the use of the word Allah in Malaysia.

He sent a letter to Putrajaya last year expressing his concerns but has yet to receive a response.

“I am still waiting for a response, and hope this can’t be the final word of the government,” Bielefeldt told to The Malaysian Insider recently.

Civil society groups have criticised Putrajaya over the lack of response, saying the government was being disrespectful to the UN Special Rapporteur.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has also weighed in on the issue, saying that as a UN member state, it was important for the Malaysian government to respond to the concerns raised by the Special Rapporteur.

“As much as we understand the sensitivity of the issue, we are also concerned that the issue on the use of the word Allah among non-Muslims has led to severe criticisms by the international community which may reflect negatively on Malaysia’s human rights record,” Suhakam said in a statement.

Suhakam also said that there was an urgent need for the government to facilitate inter-faith dialogues among relevant stakeholders particularly community leaders, religious scholars, the relevant state and federal authorities and the public on the use of the word. – July 10, 2014.

– See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/asean-countries-should-hold-interfaith-dialogues-to-resolve-issues-says-hum#sthash.CdLaAD1u.dpuf

Esscom split into two branches

PUTRAJAYA: The Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) will be split into two components under a restructure that will take effect next Tuesday.

One component will be called the Security and Defence Management and the other the Enforcement and Public Action.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced the restructure at a press conference here today.

He said Abdul Rashid Harun, who is currently the director of Esscom’s Safety and Public Security Department, will be promoted to the position of Esscom Commander.

Esscom was established last year, following the intrusion of Sulu militants into Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu. It has recently become the target of widespread criticism following cross-border kidnappings in Semporna, Lahad Datu and Kunak.

Petronas bincang royalti minyak dengan Adenan

KUCHING: Pegawai atasan Petronas telah memberi taklimat kepada Ketua Menteri Adenan Satem mengenai operasi syarikat minyak negara itu dan hasil mereka sebagai tindak balas kepada permintaan Kerajaan Sarawak untuk kenaikan royalti minyak kepada 20 peratus.

Adenan yang diiringi oleh beberapa menteri kabinet negeri, menghadiri taklimat itu di Wisma Bapa Malaysia di sini pagi kelmarin.

Mesyuarat dengan Petronas itu telah disebutkan oleh Ketua Menteri Khamis lepas

Ketua Menteri meninggalkan mesyuarat tertutup itu tanpa sebarang komen manakala menteri-menteri yang mengiringi beliau enggan mengulas tentang perbincangan yang diadakan. Mereka cuma berkata bahawa Adenan akan mengeluarkan satu kenyataan mengenai taklimat itu pada masa akan datang.

Mesyuarat dengan Petronas itu telah disebutkan oleh Ketua Menteri semasa dialog dengan masyarakat Cina di Pusat Konvensyen Borneo di sini Khamis lepas.

Article from FreeMalaysiaToday:

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/07/01/petronas-bincang-royalti-minyak-dengan-adenan/

Speak up on cabotage policy

If we go by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s policy of “People First Performance Now”, then shouldn’t the welfare of the people of Sabah and Sarawak be of top priority?

And if this is so, why are East Malaysians still stuck with a cabotage policy that is more a burden than anything else? In fact, this policy is the reason behind the rising cost of living in Sabah and Sarawak.

Now after having been sucked into Malaysia’s power-hungry political system, East Malaysians have been left completely powerless under Barisan Nasional’s (BN) rule. More so since Sabah is now ruled by UMNO/BN as well.

We have already surrendered our oil and gas to PETRONAS, whose accounts have never been made public, not even by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. It is instead under the direct purview of the Prime Minister who is also the Finance Minister.

Now an UMNO politician in Sabah is saying we have to maintain the present cabotage policy to save the shipping industry. Why is the fate of the shipping industry of any concern to us, East Malaysians?

Shouldn’t Sabah’s and Sarawak’s parliamentarians, who are equally concerned about the high cost of living we endure, be more vocal about our state rights?

Why is it that the people of our two states, independent before the formation of Malaysia, have to endure this treatment by Malaysia just because of BN rule?

Article from FMTBorneo Plus:

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/letters/2014/07/07/speak-up-on-cabotage-policy/