TAWAU: The Sabah Suluk Solidarity Council (MPSS) wants the government to urgently look into the proposal to form an anti-smuggling or border scouts unit in all the country’s entry points, particularly along Sabah’s east coast.
MSS Secretary Mohd Zaki Harry Susanto said the matter was vital because it could strengthen efforts to curb smuggling and help to reduce leakages in national revenue due to negative activities.
“The proposal is not to overshadow the setting up of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) but it will become part of the elements in Esscom as the UPP or border scouts will be more focused on matters relating to smuggling surveillance besides cooperating with other enforcement agencies.
“We must be aware of the effectiveness of UPP in the peninsula, especially in the northern region. Their presence has helped the customs and police a lot as they are more focus on curbing smuggling as a whole,” he said.
Mohd Zaki said the border scouts were incorporated in Sabah several years ago by recruiting mostly Sabahans and were effective as the locals understood the domestic situation better and did not easily compromised in matters involving the country’s sovereignty.
However, the organisation was disbanded and the border scouts were absorbed as auxiliary police in the police force. Mohd Zaki, who is also Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) Youth Community Federation Chairman, urged the people, especially in the Sabah east coast, not to be easily influenced by the polemic being deliberately harped by certain quarters to hit at Esscom.
