Ex-IGP: ‘Syiok sendiri’ won’t curb Sabah kidnappings
Saying intelligence is key, Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor adds that a general must know his enemy and their assets as well as he knows his own men and assets.
PETALING JAYA: Intelligence is vital in curbing kidnappings off Sabah’s notorious east coast, says former Inspector-General of Police Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor.
According to a Borneo Post Online report, Abdul Rahim said intelligence would help the authorities know if kidnappings would happen and who would execute it.
Speaking at a press conference before a talk on national security in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Wednesday, Abdul Rahim said it was crucial for the authorities to know more about the Abu Sayyaf chief and the group’s actions.
Citing Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu’s ‘Art of War’, Abdul Rahim said a military leader or general must know his enemy and their assets as well as he knew his own men and assets.
“The more you know, the better. Do not syok sendiri (full of one’s self) only.
“We must head towards the direction where we are always in the know of what will happen and who will execute it,” he said, adding more needed to be done on top of the dusk-to-dawn curfew in the state’s east coast.
Abdul Rahim also noted that Sabah was the only state in the world where kidnappers from a neighbouring country intruded in another country to kidnap hostages for ransom.
He said if the kidnappers continued to be given millions in ransom, they would not stop kidnapping.
Abdul Rahim also stressed about the importance of cooperation between police chiefs in Sabah’s east coast and the relevant Filipino agencies.
Most recently, four Sarawakian sailors were abducted from a tugboat by gunmen in international waters off Pulau Ligitan in Sabah on April 1.
They were held by the Filipino captors and were released some 69 days later on June 9, after their families paid their ransom.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram