By ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN mailto:RAHMANzulrahman@thestar.com.myPhotos by ONG SOON HIN WE recently visited Naval Area II or Mawila II navy base in Teluk Sepanggar, near Kota Kinabalu. The personnel here are responsible for maintaining security in Malaysian waters off Sabah, including the island of Layang-Layang. The base, which has about 2,000 navy personnel, will also house the two Scorpene submarines recently acquired fromFrance. According to base commanding officer Zainal Abidin Yusoh, Mawila II is responsible for patrolling 360,000sq km of sea, 1,000km of coast and 397 islands. This huge area of responsibility indicates Malaysia’s status as a maritime nation, he said. The navy personnel at Mawila II also assist the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in its tasks of stopping smuggling and piracy, preventing pollution at sea and illegal fishing, and carrying out search-and-rescue activities, he added. Poised for action: A Royal Rangers Regiment soldier manning his machinegun at his camp in Pulau Berhala off Sandakan during an exercise. During a visit to the base of the Ninth Battalion of the Royal Rangers Regiment in Pulau Berhala off Sandakan, we saw a military exercise where soldiers from the elite Rapid Deployment Force, Paskal commandos and soldiers from the 10th Paratroop Brigade rapid deployment force engaged a group of “terrorists” that had taken the island’s occupants hostage. Ninth Ranger battalion commanding officer Lt-Kol Mohd Mansur Mohd Sharif said the exercise was part of the Ops Pasir operation to test the readiness of the soldiers in the event Malaysian territory was attacked by foreign forces or terrorists. Ops Pasir was launched after the Abu Sayyaf group kidnapped several Malaysians and tourists in 2000.
Vigilant: A Royal Rangers Regiment soldier checking for intrusion from his camp in Pulau Berhala. Members of the Rapid Deployment Force wading to shore. Lt-Kol Mansur said the importance of guarding the coastline against intrusion could not be underestimated. The coastline in Sabah alone was 1,577km in length, and the security forces also have to guard numerous islands and corals, he said. “There are cases where intruders such as timber or cigarette smugglers and illegal immigrants will use geography to their advantage. They will use small boats and escape into the coral-infested waters to avoid being caught. ”We also co-operate with other enforcement agencies to prevent theft of marine assets.”
Ever ready: A navy commando poised to use his automatic rifle. Lt-Kol Mansur said the soldiers also have to be alert to the political situation in southern Philippines, and they have been taking action against militant groups who try to enter Sabah’s east coast. “Things become more difficult when intruders and illegal immigrants escape to Kinabatangan from Tawi-tawi because they have relatives living on the Malaysian side,” he added. Defence Ministry deputy secretary-general (management) Datuk Jesbil Singh, who participated in the three-day tour, said the media visit was part of the ministry’s efforts to give journalists a first-hand look at the responsibilities and challenges faced by the Malaysian armed forces in protecting national sovereignty and strategic interests. “You have to come to a very remote island and to our borders to witness the sacrifices made by our soldiers working in far-flung areas around the country,” he said. “The demonstration of our men and equipment shows how important it is for our armed forces to have the right assets and capability to protect Malaysia from harm. The Star Online |