Sabah Police Commissioner Abdul Rashid Harun said with the enforcement of the curfew order, residents in the affected areas are required to be indoors from 7pm and 5am daily.

He said the curfew involved the waters off the Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran districts.

The curfew order has been extended to ensure the waters in the ESSZone were not encroached upon by armed gunmen who could threaten the safety of international researchers and tourists visiting resort islands in the area, he said in a statement today.

Abdul Rashid said based on information received, the group from southern Philippines which carried out kidnapping for ransom and the Abu Sayyaf militant group were still trying to sneak into ESSZone waters to commit cross-border crime.

He said the curfew order was also extended to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Sabah residents in the ESSzone area apart from facilitating the monitoring and enforcement of movement so chalet operators and fishermen would feel more secure in the area, he added.

He said all district police chiefs in the ESSzone area had been given the authority to issue permits to those applying for fishing activities and to pass through the curfew areas in emergency situations.