Kota kinabalu: 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.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, 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, stated that both senior civil servants will lead the task force, backed by Sabah's Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) as the secretariat.

The special task force will address operational challenges such as 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 collaborate to enhance enforcement efficiency.

Present at the meeting 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 noted that the special task force was established following 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.

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 extensive land and sea borders near Indonesia and the Philippines pose significant risks that require attention. The substantial price gap in subsidised fuel with these neighboring countries further exacerbates smuggling risks. The task force aims to strengthen integrated enforcement to address these high leakage risks.