State police have described the murder and abduction of Taiwanese tourists at Pulau Pom Pom, Semporna on Friday as an isolated incident.

Sabah Police Commissioner, Datuk Hamza Taib (pic) said the state's security was under control with sufficient security personnel capacity.

"We have solid backup from the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Marine Police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Royal Malaysian Navy, Joint Forces Command 2 and Royal Malaysian Air Force.

"We have security control posts at most of the resort centres in the state," he told reporters after launching a crime awareness programme in Kinabatangan, Sunday.

According to Hamza, police believed the abducted Taiwanese woman was still alive and investigations were continuing.

He also dismissed press reports that the couple were married. He said a post mortem on the man's remains would be carried out by the PDRM's forensic department on Nov 20.

In the incident at about 1am, a Taiwanese man aged 57 was shot dead and a Taiwanese woman aged 58, abducted by a group of men.