Sandakan Maritime Community Caught Up In National Day, Sabah Day Fever

SANDAKAN, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- The excitement of the joint celebration of National Day and Sabah Day on Aug 31 is increasingly being felt among the maritime community here, including island residents, with the flying of the Jalur Gemilang and Sabah flag.

Sabah State Information Department director Jainisah Mohd Noorsaid said even the fishermen are flying both flags on their boats.

"The hoisting of the Jalur Gemilang is very encouraging not only on the mainland but also on the islands as well as in inland areas,” she told reporters here today.

"Today, we saw fishing boats flying the Jalur Gemilang and Sabah flag. We went to Pulau Berhala and Kampung Tanjung Aru here which are quite far from the mainland, and they were also full of flags...flying these flags is among the expressions of love for the country."

Jainisah led the 2024 Jalur Gemilang Merdeka Expedition convoy to the 38th checkpoint location, which are Pulau Berhala and Kampung Tanjung Aru here, in collaboration with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

Meanwhile, MMEA director for Sabah and Labuan, Maritime First Admiral Datuk Che Engku Suhaimi Engku Daik said the convoy completed the celebrations which had only been held on land so far but this year included the maritime area.

"MMEA is participating for the first time in the Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang (KMJG) 2024 convoy and we are quite enthusiastic...the maritime community is also enthusiastic, today we see the excitement," he said.

According to him, in focusing on safeguarding the defence and sovereignty of the country's waters, the Sabah MMEA also wants to improve good relations and cooperation with the local community and agency's strategic partners.

He added that from 2020 until now, the Sandakan Maritime Zone through the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) in Kota Kinabalu coordinated 43 maritime search and rescue operations and saved 87 lives of victims at sea such as shipwrecks and violations, with property being saved estimated at RM3.21 million.

-- BERNAMA