Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman and a yet to be appointed chief executive officer (CEO) will oversee a committee for the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone that was announced by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today.

Attorney-General Gani Patail said that the committee will then report to an oversight committee helmed by Najib himself.

The committee was established under the Preservation of Public Security Regulations 2013, and will be reviewed annually from now on, Gani said.

The committee means that the government is acknowledging that it has a "security problem", he said.

NONE "But at the same time, it is not something that the government can't handle," he said.

He said Sabahans who are relocated under the law will be adequately compensated and will even be allowed to challenge the government's decision to relocate them.

Gani ( right ) stressed the new law does not provide any special allowances to increase the powers of the government.

"Let me be clear, this is not a state of emergency," he said.

Militants to be given counsel

Meanwhile, Gani stressed that all the Sulu militants who are charged in courts in Sabah will be given counsel.

"I told the court not to let them enter pleas. I have contacted the Philippines embassy and asked them to send lawyers and also consulted the Bar Council on this," he said.

In the event that Filipino lawyers are unable to represent these militants, Gani said the Bar will either provide legal advice to the Sabah Lawyers Association (SLA) or a criminal lawyer might obtain a ad-hoc admission to SLA to counsel the militants.

He went on to stress that the government is currently pursuing the militants' alleged leader Azzimudie Kiram and will prosecute him if found.

"It doesn't matter whether he is Malaysian or not. If he committed an offence, he will be charged," he added, referring to the opposition's allegations that Azzimudie is Malaysian and has served as a civil servant.

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