KUCHING: The Eastern Field Command (EFC) remains committed to maintaining its close ties and cooperation with the defence forces of Indonesia and Brunei as a defence diplomacy approach by the Ministry of Defence.
EFC Commander Lt Gen Datuk Wira Zamrose Mohd Zain said “Ops Awas” and “Ops Keris Parang”, “Ops Balasah” and “Ops Jangkawan” have succeeded in curbing illegal cross-border activities and safeguarded the country’s territorial sovereignty.
Additionally, he said the existing relationship with the security forces and other government agencies continued to be maintained.
He was also satisfied with the positive feedback given by the local communities to the presence of soldiers in their areas.
According to Zamrose, the Armed Forces were ever ready to secure the country’s border against any threats.
He said the military had also often organised community activities to enhance closer ties between the military and the local people.
Eastern Field Command was set up on March 31, 2014 to strengthen military awareness in Sarawak and Sabah
It is also responsible for safeguarding the sovereignty of the country, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
The borders of Sarawak and Sabah are the longest borders of the country compared to Malaya which is 2,569.5km.
“To ensure that security in East Malaysia is always under control, the Eastern Field Command has been responsible for conducting border control to stop intrusion and cross-border criminal activities,” said Zamrose.
He said among the operations carried out in safeguarding the country’s land borders are the “Ops” (operations) mentioned earlier.
“Operasi Awas” was first launched in 1994 following several intrusions across the country’s borders.
In 1999, the operations were more focused on tackling smuggling, particularly in Serikin, Sarawak.
“It was created to guard the safety and bilateral relations between the armies of Malaysia and Indonesia as they monitor their respective borders,” he said.
“Operasi Keris Parang” was launched in 1973 involving the Malaysian and Indonesian armies.
The objective of the operation is to combat the threat of the Communist Party of North Kalimantan (PKKU) in the Sarawak/West Kalimantan (KALBAR) border until the PKKU surrendered in 1990 at Kanowit Camp, Sibu, Sarawak.
Next, “Operasi Keris Parang” was aimed at controlling the Sarawak borders.
As a result of this joint operation, various problems such as smuggling, illegal logging and illegal immigration were solved jointly.
In ensuring the security of the country’s borders, the army has faced various obstacles and tricks used by smugglers and illegal immigrants (Pati).
The rough trails along the Kalimatan border also make it difficult for military personnel to patrol the area with limited resources.
But the close cooperation with other government agencies has helped the army run “Ops Awas” and “Ops Keris Parang” smoothly.
For TDM teams operating in the border areas, the acceptance of military personnel by local residents was very positive.
Still, there are a handful of people who smuggle things across the borders, but they had not seriously challenged the operations of the military.
In 2018, “Ops Awas” and “Ops Keris Parang” have successfully thwarted smugglers and illegal immigrants, and have managed to seize goods worth a total of RM1,651,614.
“Ops Balasah” was initially implemented to safeguard the border areas of Sabah and North Borneo, the coastline and several islands in Sabah waters.
It was first implemented in 1994 as a two-pronged step to oversee the said areas.
