KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan has repeated his call for the border scouts to be revived, following reports of another possible invasion from the southern Philippines.
The Keningau MP said border scouts will be able to complement the function of present security forces, which have been on alert following media reports involving a secret plot to invade Sabah that surfaced yesterday.
“We have been suggesting (the revival of border scouts). We cannot treat such reports lightly. It has happened before and it could happen again.
“I think the border scouts should be revived because they know our own terrains better (than the security forces here),” he said today during a ceremony to welcome former Putatan MP Datuk Marcus Mojigoh to Sabah Star.
Yesterday, South China Morning Post reported that a secret meeting on a planned invasion of Sabah – organised by a senior government official and 19 mayors from the Sulu Archipelago – was held in the southern Philippines.
However, Malaysian authorities have dismissed this as untrue.
Jeffrey said he has expressed his concern of the threat to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, and the latter has given his assurance via text message that the security forces are ready.
“Don’t worry, we are ready for any possibilities,” Hamzah was quoted as saying in the message.
He said such reports should be viewed seriously, noting that many Sulu claimant followers are already in Sabah.
Jeffrey said this was the mistake done by previous governments that had allowed them to enter Sabah illegally, subsequently providing them Malaysian citizenships.
“This is the fault of previous governments, which had allowed them to come to Sabah illegally – and now, they have become monsters,” he said.
The border scouts – which were formed in Sabah by the British during the Malaysia-Indonesia confrontation – successfully warded off the infiltration of the Indonesian National Army in the 60s.
The unit – whose duties included border patrols and aiding the enforcement base to strike enemy incursions into Sabah – had also been successful in stopping cross-border crimes and smuggling, before it went defunct in the early 90s.
Sabah Star’s general election preparations
Jeffrey – who is also Sabah Star president – said the party has not decided on any seats to contest in the general election, although it wishes to contest in all seats, if possible.
He said Sabah Star would like to contest in all 25 parliamentary seats in the state, but has to respect the wishes of its fellow parties in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah alliance.
On Mojigoh’s move to join Sabah Star, Jeffrey said this is a sign of Sabah trying to attain political unity and strength.
He said Sabah’s struggle – asserting state rights, as stated in the federal constitution – can only be attained when it is politically strong.
Jeffrey said the state also needs to be financially stable to reduce its reliance on the federal government.
“We are trying to achieve financial stability by looking at what resources the state has and can control.
“For instance, Sabah can raise state revenue via conservation, and therefore, this is the reason we are trying to push for the carbon trade deal.
“We are too dependent (on the federal government), and as a result, we cannot move. When we are too dependent, this means we have to follow what dictates us.
“If we are able to increase our financial capacity, we can be independent. Not the secession kind, but at least we can do our own thing,” he said.
Sabah Star today received a total of 1,015 member applications including Mojigoh, who is a former Upko leader.
The state-based party boasts over 400,000 members statewide, according to Jeffrey, with overwhelming recruitment after the party had become part of the government. – The Vibes, December 10, 2021
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