KUALA LUMPUR: Penampang Member of Parliament Datuk Ewon Benedick has raised concerns over the security risks associated with the presence of generations of refugees and foreign migrants from the Philippines in Sabah.

Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat today, Ewon asked the Ministry of Defence whether the situation was recognised as a national security risk, particularly given Sabah’s geographical proximity to the islands and territories of the Philippines.

“With Sabah’s proximity to the islands and territories of the Philippines, there is naturally movement of people between the two territories.

“This House is also aware of the influx of generations of refugees and foreign migrants from the Philippines over the years. Does the Ministry of Defence recognise this situation as a form of security risk to the country?” he asked during a supplementary question in the oral question session.

Ewon also questioned whether intelligence activities were being conducted to monitor possible propaganda among generations of refugees from the Philippines that could be linked to claims by certain parties from the country over Sabah.

“Under the whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches, are intelligence activities being conducted on propaganda among generations of refugees from the Philippines that may be linked to claims by certain parties from that country?

“If such intelligence activities are being carried out, is the ministry prepared to share the findings with Sabah elected representatives or relevant parties in Sabah?” he asked.

The supplementary questions followed Deputy Defence Minister Haji Adly Zahari’s response to Ewon’s earlier oral question on how the Federal Government intends to balance the increasing presence and development of military facilities involving the United States and the Philippines on Balabac Island.

Responding to Ewon, Adly said national security challenges and threats, whether traditional or non-traditional, were assessed from various perspectives and on an ongoing basis.

“From a defence perspective, we face both traditional and non-traditional challenges and threats. Both are assessed from various aspects because security challenges along the borders are not solely related to military matters, but also involve smuggling and human trafficking,” he said.

Adly said that in addition to efforts by the Defence Ministry to strengthen defence assets in Sabah, safeguarding national security was a shared responsibility involving ministries, agencies and the public.

He stressed that the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches were important to ensure coordination among all parties in understanding and addressing security threats.

He cited coordination efforts on Banggi Island, which also involved the National Security Council (MKN), to ensure relevant parties were aware of the security threats faced in the area.

“We are doing our best to ensure that not only elected representatives, but also the people of Sabah, including communities in island areas, understand the impact of their actions and the threats they may pose to Sabah and Malaysia as a whole,” he said.

Adly further stressed that safeguarding the country’s security and sovereignty remains a key priority of the government.