KOTA KINABALU: Sabah aims to play its role in assisting law enforcement by reviving the border scouts.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said the intrusion of foreign fishing vessels is one of the ongoing issues in waters off the state.
He further explained that Sabah's borders extend up to the continental shelves, a delineation made before the formation of Malaysia.
"The state government is also examining the definition of 'land,' over which Sabah has jurisdiction. Therefore, it is imperative that we have a role in ensuring the safety of our land.
"Sabah's borders extend up to the international borders, and thus we need to be given roles to collaborate with the federal government in terms of security.
"That's why I always suggest that border scouts should be reactivated so they can support the central government on security issues," he said during a media briefing after visiting the fish landing facility here.
In 1963, Sabah Border Scouts were formed and trained by the British. The paramilitary unit played a significant role against the Indonesian army during the Confrontation period between 1963 to 1966.
However, it was disbanded in 1986 when there was no longer any external threat to Sabah.
Regarding the encroachment of foreign vessels into Sabah waters, Jeffrey said the situation is currently under control.
"Although there may be occasional incidents, the incidence of intrusion has greatly decreased.
"There are no more deep-sea fishing licences issued by the Sabah Fisheries Department for Vietnamese vessels, which has significantly reduced foreign (Vietnamese) intrusions."
He also expressed gratitude to the maritime forces for their constant monitoring of the state's waters up to the Exclusive Economic Zone to prevent encroachment by foreign fishermen and safeguard fisheries resources.
Earlier, Jeffrey, who is state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister, highlighted the state government's aspiration to create direct and indirect job opportunities and increase the export value through a surplus of seafood caught from Sabah waters.
In 2022, the fish landing volume for the state was 230,170.81 metric tonnes with a value of RM1.523 billion.
He added that RM8 million is required to upgrade the Sabah Fish Marketing Sdn Bhd (SAFMA) facility to maximise its capacity.
Also present was Kota Kinabalu City mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah.