The responsibility shouldered by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) must be accomplished to ensure the economy of Sabah is not adversely affected.

Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (left) said all quarters with vested interest must cooperate to assist Esscom in realising its duty to ensure the security of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).

"In addition, all agencies under Esscom must also cooperate to the best of their abilities to ensure no untoward incidents take place to ensure tourism in Sabah will not deteriorate due to the perception that the state is unsafe.

"I was told by resort operators in the state on the drop in tourist arrivals due to several incidents which took place recently. If the tourist arrival is low, the economy of Sabah will also be affected," he told reporters after visiting a used oil rig for the implementation of the sea basing system on Pulau Mabul today.

He also said the effort to empower Esscom must continue to be boosted by looking for new approaches to help the agency achieve its target to ensure national security specifically in Sabah.

Meanwhile, he said the use of the oil rig as a forward operation base was among the moves aptly carried out by Esscom in beefing up security in the Esszone.

"The security forces can act quickly to check the entry of intruders or criminals into national waters. It can also indirectly curb smuggling," he added.

- Bernama