COMMENT | Many of us will still remember the Lahad Datu incursion by Sulu militants from the Philippines in 2013.

For Sabahans, that must surely be one episode they can never forget or rather, wish had never taken place. That invasion was the first attack on our soil by a foreign army in the nation’s modern history.

Tragically, we lost eight of our brave security personnel in Ops Sulu and Ops Daulat, which were launched to crush the invaders.

I recall ticking off politicians who made all kinds of weird and silly comments during the standoff with the Filipino terrorists which lasted for almost two months (photo).

There is something crucial which our politicians must bear in mind - there are certain issues which are beyond them and it is best that they keep their opinions to themselves, one of which is terrorism.

The issue of terrorism and the threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) in Malaysia is a very serious one, so much so that Bukit Aman has also set up a special Counter-Terrorism Division.

The division's aim is to strengthen the country’s preparedness and enhance the police force’s capabilities to counter the increasingly intense global threats of terrorism.

As a keen observer of police work and the key staff movement within Bukit Aman, I must applaud the appointment of Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay as the counter-terrorism chief.

He has been known to be “eating, sleeping and breathing” counter-terrorism in his many years in the force. Ayob Khan certainly deserved his recent promotion as well to deputy police commissioner.

I am sure many Malaysians are deeply concerned with the IS threat on our shores. Although it is not a subject we want to talk about in our daily conversation, the threat is real indeed.

The grenade attack on the Movida Nightclub in Puchong last year has been confirmed by the police to be the first IS incident in the country. Eight patrons of the club were injured. Two young militants, aged 21 and 24, were sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for carrying out the attack.

For three consecutive days over this past week, Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun (photo) has been issuing terrorism-related statements...