Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (centre) speaks at a press conference after chairing a special meeting on the establishment of the Ops Tiris 4.0 Integrated Task Force for Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan at the Sabah International Convention Centre today. – Bernama photo

KOTA KINABALU (April 20): The establishment of the Ops Tiris 4.0 Integrated Special Task Force in Sabah and Labuan will focus mainly on tailored enforcement activities for each territory’s unique needs, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

He said the decision to set up the special task force came at today’s meeting, which also saw the official mandate handed over to the Sabah Federal Secretary and the Sabah State Secretary.

Fadillah, also Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said both senior civil servants will lead the task force, backed by Sabah’s Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) as secretariat.

“The special task force will zero in on operational challenges like countering smugglers’ tactics along borders and in surrounding waters.

“Federal and state agencies, including Sabah Ports and Harbours Department, Sabah Ports Authority, Labuan Port Authority, and others, will work together for more efficient enforcement,” he said after chairing the meeting here.

Also present were Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, his deputy Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh, and Sabah Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Caesar Mandela Malakun.

Fadillah said the special task force was set up after decisions from the April 6 meeting of the Inter-agency Enforcement Coordination High-Level Committee Against Leakages and Smuggling and the April 8 Cabinet meeting.

He said the government decided in that meeting to establish two Ops Tiris 4.0 Integrated Special Task Forces, one for Sarawak alongside those for Sabah and Labuan.

“Sabah and Sarawak’s vast land and sea borders near Indonesia and the Philippines make them a key risk that needs tackling.

“This is also fuelled by the big price gap in subsidised fuel with those neighbours, driving up smuggling risks,” he said, adding that the task force aims to strengthen integrated enforcement to tackle high leakage risks. – Bernama

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