# Eastern Sabah Security Command

The Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) is a Malaysian security area that covers 1,400 km of the east coast of Sabah from Kudat to Tawau. It was announced on 7 March 2013 by Musa Aman, the Sabah State Chief Minister. Its purpose is to strengthen maritime security in the eastern part of Sabah following the persistent attacks by pirates and militants in the southern Philippines especially after the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff, while at the same time ensuring that trade and business activity are not affected. The ESSCOM headquarters and main base is currently located in Lahad Datu.
On 8 July 2014, then-Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced the restructuring of the ESSCOM with the setting up of two major components - security and defence management as well as enforcement and public action.

## Scope

ESSCOM is the authoritative body that oversees Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE), which comprises the districts of Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau. The body is chaired by the Chief Minister of Sabah, assisted by a CEO appointed by the government. ESSCOM's primary initiative is the establishment of new police stations to further improve security.

## Visits

On 9 June 2014, around 20 students from the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) visited ESSCOM headquarters to know the concept of the security area, particularly its integrated operations involving various agencies as well as procedures in dealing with challenges and issues that arise. The delegation was led by Major General Sir Sebastian John Lechmere Roberts along with other 19 senior military officers and civilians from various countries including Sudan, Lebanon, Italy, Estonia, Egypt, Ghana, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Kenya and the United Kingdom. On 25 August 2016, four Japanese delegates from the Japan Terrorism Prevention Unit also visited ESSCOM.

## Director-General

The Director-General of ESSCOM is selected on a rotational basis.
| Name | Former Position | Take office | Out Office | Time in office | Note |
| Datuk Mohammad Mentek | Sabah immigration department director | 01/04/2013 | 07/08/2014 | 1 year | 1st Sabahan, East Malaysian and non police officer appointed as Esscom commander |
| Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun | Police, Internal Security and Public Order, former Pasukan Gerakan Khas VAT69 commander. | 08/08/2014 | 22/12/2015 | 1 year | He was then transferred and appointed as Sabah police commissioner before he retired in 2017 |
| Datuk Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid | Kuala Lumpur police contingent Public Order Department head | 23/12/2015 | 18/07/2017 | 2 years | |
| Datuk Hazani Ghazali | Special Actions Unit Commander, Royal Malaysian Police | 19/07/2017 | 04/09/2020 | 3 years | He was later appointed as Internal and Public Order Security Department director in late 2020 |
| DCP Dato Ahmad Fuad Othman | Sarawak Brigade, General Operations Force Commander | 05/09/2020 | 11/12/2021 | 1 year | |
| DCP Ahmad Hamzah | Federal Reserve Unit Commander | 12/12/2021 | 17/05/2023 | 1 year, 5 months and 5 days | Transferred to Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department, Bukit Aman |
| DCP Mohd Ali Tamby | Special Actions Unit (Malaysia) & Chief of Staff, Special Forces unit, Esscom | 18/05/2023 | 10/06/2023 | 1 month | |
| DCP Victor Sanjos | Deputy Kelantan state police chief | 11/06/2023 (acting) & 03/07/2023 (official duty)-now | | 1 year | 2nd East Malaysian and Sabahan commander as of 2023 |