I AM in much sympathy with Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar, the Royal Malaysian Navy chief, when he voiced that Malaysian security forces be given the right to shoot on sight to prevent terrorists entering Malaysia from southern Philippines.
Our prime minister has advised that there must be standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent possible abuses of such rights and to put in better guarantees to safeguard the innocents. The SOPs are now being compiled.
It is hoped that the SOPs will not inhibit our Armed Forces’ task to prevent the infiltration of undesirable elements into our country. More importantly, they should not be used by our politicians and global human rights activists to put forward accusations of “abuses” of human rights when carrying out their responsibilities.
There may be some benefits for a nation to make drastic threats against certain sources of challenges which could negatively impact the nation’s wellbeing.
One may recall that in mid-1979, the then deputy prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had publicly threatened to “shoot on sight” Vietnamese refugees who tried to land in Malaysia. Our country was then experiencing a huge burden of having to provide shelter for the hundreds of refugees troubled by war in their homeland in which Malaysia did not have any involvement. The threat had the desired impact as it jolted the main players in the Vietnam war, the United States and South Vietnamese governments, as they scampered out of their complacency and sought alternative shelters and other means to reduce the burden on the Malaysian government.
Perhaps the threat of “shoot on sight” now will have a similar desired impact — jolt the Philippines government out of its stupor and do more to pacify its troubled south and contain the threats posed by its citizens to their southern neighbour.
One must not forget the recent Lahad Datu incursion by armed followers of the so-called Sultanate of Sulu. These are literally poverty-stricken villagers in southern Philippines driven by promises of grandeur and riches by their headmen. They are prepared to commit violence and, having weapons in their possession, they are extremely dangerous.
After Malaysia was formed and established new laws and regulations, there is a stark difference between the political and economic conditions in Sabah and the islands of southern Philippines. Sabah is prosperous and peaceful but the southern Philippines region is poor and restive.
The present reality seems to support more draconian measures to be put in place to assist the guardians of our national security to continue to guarantee our nation’s peace, prosperity and integrity. Shoot on sight seems justified under the prevailing circumstances.
Some illicit activities have become common practices and a part of the culture in that region particularly among the Filipinos inhabiting the archipelago. Illegal barter trading between people of the coastal areas of the two countries, smuggling of weapons, diesel and piracy were common in the past. Now kidnappings and killings have become more commonplace.
Malaysia already has a huge problem of illegal immigrants on her plate. We need more stern measures to prevent more foreigners coming into this country illegally.
The proposed SOP governing the shoot on sight policy must not, therefore, “tie the hands” of our Armed Forces from carrying out their responsibility to safeguard Malaysians.
Syed Azauddin,Gombak, Selangor