KUALA LUMPUR: THE Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) wants security forces to be given the power to shoot on sight any suspicious targets encroaching Sabah waters.
Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri
Abdul Aziz Jaafar, in mooting the proposal, said this was to prevent terrorists from southern Philippines from entering the country.
He said the laws prohibited members of security forces from shooting on sight and this had prevented security forces, including the navy, from wiping out such attempts completely, despite numerous opportunities to do so in the past.
He said the proposal was made considering that terrorists in the region were using the lat-
est technology and high-speed boats, besides being trained as “fighters”.
“Surely, it involves the issue of law, but there has to be some form of cautious element.
“For example, when we sound a warning for them to stop and they refuse to do so, don’t tell me we have to wait for them to approach us.
“Surely, we must stop them.
“There was a situation where we could have fired (at them), but were forced to hold back (due to legalities).
“So, if we are given the green light to shoot, they will be afraid.
“Now they are not, as they know we will not shoot at them,” he said adding that the attorney-general needed to revisit the matter to make it easier for security management in Sabah’s west coast.
Aziz was speaking to reporters after witnessing the handing over of duty for the Fleet Commander at the RMN base in Lumut here yesterday.
Vice-Admiral Datuk Abdul Hadi A. Rashid, 58, who retired,
was succeeded by Vice-Admiral Datuk Mohamad Roslan Mohamad Ramli, 55.
Elaborating on his statement later, Aziz said the navy’s request for power to shoot on sight was meant as a deterrence measure.
He said such power needed to be exercised so that suspicious targets would not take our security forces’ presence lightly.
“The power to shoot will be exercised against suspected intruders, who try to flee and those who refuse to allow security forces to perform checks. It is not to shoot and kill them.
“(In some cases) Only by firing shots can we make the suspects heed our orders.
“Intruders are not afraid of security forces’ orders and would flee every time, as they knew that we are not allowed to shoot.
“If they are not guilty of anything, they should not be afraid to allow security forces to perform checks and investigate what they are doing,” he said during a press conference at KD Sri Gombak here yesterday.
Aziz said he hoped the government would consider the request as “the time had come” for action to ensure the nation’s security.
“Now is not the time to show leniency. We must be firm as intruders who encroach our waters with ill intention will not be afraid if we are not firm.
“How many more should die? How many more should become the victims of these intruders?”
Aziz said the navy would place more ships and frigates in the west coast of Sabah to ensure comprehensive monitoring in the waters there.
“We will set up four long-term platforms in the waters to station our men and our vessels,” he
said, adding that the ambush on Pulau Mabul on Saturday was an incident that had affected the country’s and the security forces’ image.