Malaysian armed forces shift anti-Kiram ops to coastal security

Malaysian armed forces are shifting the focus of Ops Daulat, the operations against followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, from land to water, Malaysia's state-run Bernama news agency reported late Tuesday. According to the report, Malaysian security forces increased security control in waters off Sabah's east coast as Ops Daulat land operations were scaled down. "Operation Daulat on land has slowed down but the tempo at sea has been stepped up," armed forces chief Gen. Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said. Zulkifeli explained that the sea is Malaysia's first line of defense against threats to national security and sovereignty. "We will try to deploy more security assets to the area, whether bigger or faster vessels so that we can catch suspicious looking vessels," he added. He also reiterated Ops Daulat will continue until the new Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) fully takes over supervision and monitoring of the area. For now, he said the Royal Malaysian Navy, aided by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Marine Operations Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force, will handle security. Malaysian forces started the offensives against Kiram's followers March 5, following deadly clashes on March 1 and 2. — DVM, GMA News