The extended curfew at six districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) which began yesterday will end on Aug 17, said Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Abdul Rashid Harun.

The order to extend the curfew from 6pm to 6am, effective yesterday, was approved by Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, he said in a statement in Lahad Datu today.

Abdul Rashid stressed that to date, no permit had been issued for fishing in the curfew-affected waters.

Nevertheless, he said the police had issued route permits (three in Tawau and 37 in Sandakan) for specific purposes deemed reasonable by the district police chief.

Yesterday, Abdul Rashid announced the extension of curfew in the six districts was imperative to curb cross-border crimes, including kidnapping.

The extended curfew is enforced at those areas located three nautical miles from the shore, from Sandakan to Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Semporna up till the jetty of Tawau over a distance of 362 nautical miles covering an area of 121,270 sq nautical miles.

On July 19, Sabah Police Commissioner Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman declared a curfew on Eastern Sabah encompassing six districts, namely Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau.

Meanwhile in KOTA KINABALU, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman said the curfew extension in Esszone was aimed at preventing criminals from carrying out cross-border activities.

“We must deal with the matter seriously and send the right message to irresponsible parties by imposing the curfew.

“When the situation has improved, we will relax the condition as currently, the curfew order is still needed for the security of the people and Sabah,” he told reporters after launching the state-level Merdeka Month and Flag Raising Campaign today.

A curfew was imposed in the six districts last month, following an attack by an armed group on two marine policemen in Pulau Mabul, Semporna on July 12.

- Bernama