Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak yesterday announced the establishment of the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone covering 10 districts to provide the legal basis for the Eastern Sabah Security Command effective today.
He named the districts as Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau.
The districts will be administered by an Eastern Sabah Safety Zone Committee, set up under the Preservation of Public Security Regulations 2013, and chaired by the Sabah chief minister.
The chief minister as chairman will be assisted by a chief executive officer and members of the committee to be announced later, he said at the parade in conjunction with the 206th Police Day at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) in Jalan Semarak, here.
Najib said the zone would safeguard the democratic rights and the democratic process pertaining to the people of Sabah as well as strengthen security, public order and prosperity in eastern Sabah, according to Bernama news agency.
The zone follows the Sulu terrorist intrusion in Lahad Datu on Febraury 12. Terrorists killed eight policemen and a soldier. One soldier was killed in a road accident. An ongoing government offensive, dubbed Ops Daulat launched on March 5 has resulted in the deaths of 65 terrorists. AGENCIES
