Sabah Chief Minister Chong Kah Kiat today congratulated and commended the police for arresting two suspected Jemaah Islamiah members in the state last week.

He said he believed that the police had done what was necessary based on the information that they had gathered.

"We would like to congratulate the police...I am sure that they will continue to monitor (the situation) if at all we still have this sort of people involved in this sort of activity," he was quoted by Bernama as saying.

The two arrested, a Malaysian man and a woman holding an Indonesian passport, both in their 30s, were picked up in Sandakan in the east coast under the Internal Security Act (ISA) last Thursday.

Jemaah Islamiah was said to be a regional terror network led by Indonesian clerics Abu Bakar Bashir and Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, which seeks to establish pan-Islam state in the region.

Sabah has been identified as one of the common destinations that the Abu Sayyaf members in southern Philippines would flee to. In April 2000, 21 tourists including nine Malaysians in Pulau Sipadan were taken as hostages by Abu Sayyaf.

Thankful for peaceful end

Meanwhile, commenting on the World Court's decision in The Hague which ruled that the Sipadan and Ligitan islands belong to Malaysia last week, Chong said he was thankful that the dispute was resolved peacefully.

"Malaysians in Sabah would like to thank the federal government for this success. We would also like to thank and record our appreciation to the Indonesian government who, together with our government, has agreed to accept and respect that decision," said the chief minister.

Chong had just returned from Netherlands after hearing the court's decision which ended a three-decade wrangle between Malaysian and Indonesia over the claims to the two resource-rich islands which are said to be among the best diving spots in Southeast Asia.

"The case showed that we can live peacefully, agreeing to decide and resolve issues and disputes in a very peaceful manner," he reportedly said.

Chong who is the state security committee chairperson said they will continue to take care of security surveillance in islands belonging to Sabah which he described as "adequate" at the present moment.

He also said the state government would ensure that both Sipadan and Ligitan islands would be well developed in the future.