KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government must consider extraordinary measures to protect Sabah's east coast against encroachment by terrorists and illegals. Gaya Member of Parliament Datuk Yong Teck Lee suggested in questions to Parliament.

He said the recent cross-border hostage crisis involving the rebel group Abu Sayyaf in Southern Philippines, highlighted Sabah's vulnerability which requires a comprehensive security approach.

The security problem in Sabah was the focus of most of the 10 questions Yong submitted for oral answers in the upcoming Parliament sitting later this month. He also sent in five other questions for written answers.

He asked about the additional troops that have been deployed to Sabah after the Sipadan kidnapping and whether the Federal Government would consider favourably the proposal of the Philippine government to set up an Asean Centre on Transnational Crimes.

Yong, who is also SAPP President, also inquired on the number of Filipino illegal immigrants who have been banned from entering Malaysia as well as information on the islands in Sabah's east coast which have been proposed as holding centres for illegal immigrants and refugees.

He is also seeking an answer from the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment on the latest decision of the Environment Department on the proposed Likas Bay development after it had gone through an exhaustive series of gathering feedback, opinions, criticisms and comments from the public.

On logging in Kalabakan to which Yayasan Sabah officials have publicly admitted to prior to the completion of the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment studies, Yong asked for the outcome of the investigation by the Anti-Corruption Agency.