KOTA KINABALU: Former assistant minister Ramlee Marhaban has dismissed reports that he and four of his friends were arrested for trying to sneak into Malaysian waters near Mataking Island in Semporna yesterday despite confirmation by the police that no arrests were made.
“It was a routine trip to the island. I already informed Esscom of my movements, but I guess the Joint Task Force 2 was not told of my plan,” he told FMT today. Ramlee said he regretted the rumours, adding that it was all a misunderstanding due to a lack of communication between security forces. “We brought the weapons along for self-defence, knowing the dangers of travelling in the area sometimes,” he said.Mataking Island lies at the border between Malaysia and the Philippines.