Sabah police chief Hazani Ghazali said hiring undocumented individuals could open up the opportunity for militants or terrorist cell members to reside and hide in the state.

“Many of those who enter Sabah change their names,” he told reporters at the state police headquarters in Kepayan here today.

“We are worried that certain elements like terrorists will take advantage of the situation. That’s why I am urging developers, plantation owners and other employers to check first before hiring.”

Hazani’s warning follows the death of two men suspected to be part of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in a shootout with security forces at Pulau Timbang in the east coast Sandakan district on Friday.

The duo, identified as Rakim Landasan and Alnasir Landasan, in their 30s, were killed in a predawn raid by security forces at a plantation.

Police had found out earlier that they had planned to kidnap two plantation owners in Sandakan and the neighbouring Sukau district for ransom before returning to the Philippines.

Their plan was revealed to the authorities by Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Sansibar Bencio, who was among eight men arrested for suspected links to the terrorist group in Taman Sri Arjuna in Beaufort in May.

Bencio was the one who instructed the Pulau Timbang cell to carry out the kidnappings.

Hazani said the security forces will launch a large-scale operation to eliminate the remnants of the terrorist group when the Covid-19 situation improves.

He said police were determined to erase the perception that Sabah is a “safe haven” for such groups.