A Sabah BN lawmaker has lamented remarks by the country's top leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which he said spreads fear in the state.

Abdul Ghapur Salleh (BN-Kalabakan) cited Zahid's remarks about there being Sulu commanders in every constituency in the state as an example.

"The deputy prime minister's remarks has frightened Sabahans. [...] This means the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) is meaningless.

"We regret this statement. [...] Maybe this will not affect the peninsular, but this will affect Sabah," Ghapur told the House today.

He said such remarks may scare tourists away from Sabah.

The Sabah lawmaker said such statements should be made more responsibly.

Kidnap plot

Ghapur also lamented Zahid's remarks that there had been a plot to kidnap Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and himself.

"If the prime minister, deputy minister, who have scores of bodyguards (can face the threat of being kidnapped), what about (the rest of) us?

"If that statement is true, we as regular citizens, as MPs, are even more afraid," he said.

Zahid said the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) had plotted to act last year.

However he said their efforts had been successfully foiled thanks to security laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota).