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Aquino says Sabah is a conspiracy
End Sabah clash in ‘brotherly way’, MNLF warns Putrajaya
Army rushing reinforcements to help police deal with latest landings
Tian Chua: I didn’t insult our commandos
Manila now says up to Malaysia to handle Sulu militants
I was adviser to ‘real’ Sulu sultan, says Umno Youth exco man
Nur Misuari offers to mediate
Nazri: BN will 'gladly' hand over power if people's mandate lost
Fighting in Sabah rages
Fourteen killed in stand-off between Philippine sultan and Malaysia
Malaysia Blocks PH Ship On Humanitarian Mission
19 Cops Rescued; Six Others Die In Simunul

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 10:35 PM PST

(Rappler.com) - MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – President Benigno Aquino III is not changing his position to call on Filipinos holed up in Sabah to surrender. There is no room for any negotiation if they continue to bear arms, he said.

"Hindi pa rin nagbabago ang panawagan ko sa angkan ni Sultan Jamalul Kiram III. Hindi risonable ang pang-unawa kung nakatutok ang iyong armas sa mukha ng kausap (My call to the family of Sultan Jamalul Kiram has not changed: it is not reasonable to ask for understanding, if your weapons are pointed at the faces of those you are speaking with)," Aquino said.

"Kung gusto mo talagang umusad ang usapan, tanggalin mo muna ang banta sa kaligtasan ng iyong kausap," the President added.

Amid criticism of how the government handled the standoff, Aquino said the Sabah situation is a result of a conspiracy.

"Mulat tayong may mga taong nagkuntsabahan upang humantong tayo sa sitwasyon na ito. Isang sitwasyon na walang agarang solusyon. Ilan po sa kanila ay nakikita natin habang ang iba naman ay nagkukubli pa rin sa dilim (We are aware that there are those who conspired to bring us to this situation—a situation that has no immediate solutions. Some of their identities are clear to us, while others continue to skulk in the shadows)," the President said in a press conference on Monday, March 4.

Aquino said Sultan Jamalul Kiram III alone could not have ordered the move. "Hindi kakayanin ng angkan ni Sultan Jamalul Kiram III na gawin mag-isa ang gaintong pagkilos. Kapansin-pansin din ang nag-iisang linya ng kritiko para gatungan ang malubha nang sitwasyon (The family of Sultan Jamalul Kiram could not possibly have settled on this course of action alone. We have also noticed how our critics have stuck to a single messaging line to exacerbate a situation that has already grown dire)," the President said.

Aquino blames them for putting the lives of about 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah in danger. "Alam natin ang delubyong tadhana ang may gawa at kung alin ang sinadya. Ang masakit ngayon, pinili ng ilang tao na mangyari ito at sadyang nilagay sa panganib ang napakaraming Pilipino (We can differentiate events that the turbulent winds of fate have caused, from those that have been orchestrated. What is regrettable is that there were those who chose for this to happen, and, in so doing, chose to place many Filipinos in danger)," he said.

Aquino has a message to the so-called conspirators. "Sa mga taong nasa likod nito, ngayon pa lang sinasabi ko sa inyo, hindi kayo magtatagumpay. Pananagutin natin ang nagkasala sa bansa (To the people who are behind this, even now, I tell you: you will not succeed. All those who have wronged our country will be held accountable)," he said.

Citing intelligence reports, Aquino said they have already identified "persons of interest" involved in the plot to move against Sabah. Cases are already being prepared against them, he added.

The President did not name names but he mentioned a "connivance allegedly by certain members of the past administration in the formation of this (armed group), which is a violation of the Constitution and various other laws of the land."

Asked if the conspiracy could lead to former President Gloria Arroyo, Aquino responded: "You are asking me for a conclusion that I wish I had right now. But, again, unless we have the evidence that can be brought before a court that will prove the case, I will not make an accusation," he said.

Aquino said the government is aware that the situation could get worse, but that the other option is a peaceful end to the conflict. Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario is now on his way to Malaysia to work for a possible peaceful resolution to the situation.

Aquino also downplayed the reported crackdown on Filipinos in Sabah. It is "alarmist," Aquino said.

Aquino said the response of Malaysia against the Filipinos in Sabah should be put in context. "Let us be frank with each other: If the situation were reversed, and armed groups entered our own community, would it be possible for us to do nothing? Would we not ask the government for help? Whatever your nationality may be, if there exists a threat to your safety, you would naturally retaliate and find a way to remove your citizens from harm's way," the President said in Filipino.

End Sabah clash in ‘brotherly way’, MNLF warns Putrajaya

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:55 PM PST

(TMI) - A Filipino separatist group has cautioned Putrajaya against sending more troops to Sabah, and called for the United Nations (UN) and Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) to intervene in the standoff there that has turned deadly, Manila-based paper The Philippine Star reported today.

The call was made by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), who also offered itself as the mediator between the Malaysian government and the Sultanate of Sulu, but which insisted that the Philippine government should be excluded from the dialogue.

MNLF chief Nur Misuari also warned Datuk Seri Najib Razak against persecuting people of Moro descent in Sabah, asking the prime minister to "please tone down his voice".

"The blood of our brothers in Sabah is sacred," Misuari said here.

"I hope Najib will not persecute our civilians in Sabah as it will trigger bigger trouble and it will drag us into war, and I don't like that."

Misuari, who claimed that his grandnephew is a relative of Najib's, asked for the conflict to be resolved in a "brotherly way... to the best interest of everybody."

The MNLF leader also admitted that some of the men involved in the armed incursion were his relatives and the front's members, but has denied instigating the conflict.

"How can that be? I was in Africa for more than a month with my wife and I have nothing to do with the move of the sultan," he said, adding that sending "only 200" armed men is not "his style".

He then reiterated his clan's claim over Sabah and Sarawak, calling the states "original properties of his great, great grandfather".

Two days ago, a MNLF leader had warned that the Lahad Datu standoff could widen into a civil war engulfing Sabah, since more than 8,500 Filipinos, mostly Tausugs or Suluk tribesmen, were residing in Sabah and potential supporters of the Sultanate of Sulu.

"I am afraid there will be a civil war in Sabah because thousands of Bangsamoro are residing in Sabah," Gapul Hajirul, political chief of MNLF said.

"Our Tausug brothers and sisters of Sulu and the Samals in Tawi-Tawi were saddened and are hurting by the turn of the events," he was quoted as saying.

Army rushing reinforcements to help police deal with latest landings

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:30 PM PST

(The Star) - SEMPORNA: Two new flash points involving armed intruders erupted in the east coast of Sabah as the army and police mapped out a strategy to storm the Sulu group of Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram at Tanduo village.

The army is rushing reinforcements to help the police deal with the latest landings of about 10 men in military gear sighted in Kunak, following the killing of six policemen and six intruders in a gun battle at the Simunul water village in Semporna on Saturday night.

Sighting of armed intruders were also claimed by villagers in Kinabatangan and elsewhere but, so far, the police have denied the reports.

At Kampung Senallang Lama, about 7km from Simunul, a former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander who was armed with an M16 assault rifle and a grenade launcher was said to have rounded up villagers as hostages at a mosque. He was killed by local youths.

In the meantime, a tense situation engulfed Semporna as thousands of families fled town and a lockdown enforced around Simunul, where a Tiger platoon strike force was sent.

At a 7pm press conference in Lahad Datu yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar declared the Semporna incident has been resolved and there had not been any hostage situation.

He said the bodies of the six police personnel were recovered at Simunul.

The police had declined to initially verify villagers claim that a mother with her child as well as several police personnel might be trapped or held hostage by the armed Sulu group. Assuring the people that the situation in Sabah was under control, Ismail told the media at Felda Sahabat 16 in Lahad Datu that he has asked the military to help strengthen security in Semporna and the state.

Present at the press conference was Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin.

On the purported sightings of about 10 intruders at about 10pm on Saturday in Kunak, where they were seen entering Kampung Long Malor and Kampung Dasar Lama, Ismail said three of them were armed and were in fatigues that were similar to that worn by the Sulu group at Tanduo village.

Describing the intruders as "not strong", Zulkifeli said that he has sent two more army battalions to Semporna and Kunak as a public confidence builder.

Classifying the intruders as criminals, Zulkifeli said they came in small boats over a few days from the southern Philippines island of Sibutu, which was only a 25-minute boat ride to Semporna and that was why the security forces were unable to detect them.

"I believe they came in civilian clothes and, upon entering Sabah, they grouped up and put on their military fatigues.

"We found two bags with civilian clothes,' he said, adding that they could have entered on Feb 11 or Feb 12.

On claims by the MNLF of an uprising of the Tausugs known as Suluks in Sabah if Azzimudie's group was attacked in Tanduo, Zulkifeli said: "Even though they are Tausug, they are law abiding people."

Tian Chua: I didn’t insult our commandos

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:21 PM PST

Zurairi AR, TMI

PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang denied today ever making derogatory remarks undermining the police commandos involved in the Lahad Datu stand-off.

Chua, popularly known as Tian Chua, claimed that the incident had been manipulated by cybertroopers to generate hate against him and other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders.

"This was a faked story and absolutely untrue," said Chua (picture) in a press statement, explaining that he was not in Puchong here yesterday where he purportedly made the remarks.

"I was actually in Johor, and in all of my speeches, I stated my confidence and support for our security forces and their officers."

According to Chua, some pro-BN blogs have quoted him as describing the deaths of the security forces as "mati katak" (died in vain) in a Puchong rally yesterday.

The blogs also asked their readers, especially police and army officers, to deliver text messages to him expressing their disapproval, Chua said.

Chua had also reportedly told the KeadilanDaily online portal on March 1 that the shooting in Lahad Datu was believed to be a "planned conspiracy of the Umno government" to divert attention and intimidate the people.

A group of around 100 retired policemen gathered in front of the National Monument here today to protest against alleged remarks by Chua, in an event described as the first time police retirees and former IGPs have ever gathered to express their discontent and displeasure.

The police veterans carried placards saying "Tian Chua pengkhianat negara (Tian Chua is a national traitor)", "Tian Chua manusia tak berhati perut (Tian Chua is heartless)", and "Tian Chua perlu minta maaf (Tian Chua must apologise)".

Several reports today said that groups of police retirees and officers are lodging police reports against Chua over his alleged "seditious remarks".

Manila now says up to Malaysia to handle Sulu militants

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:16 PM PST

Clara Chooi, TMI

The Philippine government said today the fate of the self-proclaimed royal Sulu army in Sabah now lies in the hands of Malaysia's security forces, appearing to suggest that a peaceful end to the prolonged standoff is no longer possible.

In an interview with the Philippines' ABS-CBN News Channel this morning, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda pointed out that the over 200 gunmen claiming to be followers of the Sulu Sultanate have continued to hold their ground in Sabah, refusing to lay down arms even after violent skirmishes since Friday left 28 dead.

But according to the channel's report on its website www.abs-cbnnews.com, Lacierda would not say if he agreed that the "window of opportunity" for a peaceful resolution to the standoff had closed because the deaths had involved Malaysian security personnel.

"Malaysia has stepped in. They have fatalities on their side. They want to resolve this on their terms. Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak said before the whole incident happened, baka pwede pa pero (it may have been possible but) now, serious offence has been committed," he told Mornings@ANC, according to the report.

Adding to the tangled web, Lacierda confirmed the Philippine government's suspicion that the Kiram family are working with outside "collaborators", but was unsure who they are.

He pointed out that during early negotiations between government representatives and Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, whose brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, is leading the rebel group in Sabah, Jamalul kept "changing goal posts".

"First of all, they wanted the government to press the Sabah claim. What did the President say? We will study the claim. I have formed a task group to study the claim," he was quoted as saying.

At one point, Lacierda said, an agreement that would call an end to the standoff was nearly reached but a phone call changed everything.

The Philippine government is now attempting to find out if collaborators are indeed involved in guiding the Kiram family on its claims, the spokesman added.

Lacierda also repeated that the Philippine government had appealed several times to the Kiram family, urging the Sultanate to order its men home in order to discuss its proprietary claims over Sabah.

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:09 PM PST

Zurairi AR, TMI

Umno Youth executive councillor Lokman Noor Adam today denied having links with self-professed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, whose brother is leading an armed incursion into Lahad Datu, Sabah.

His denial follows the distribution of a photograph of Lokman's business card on Twitter and Facebook, where he carries the title of "Advisor to The Crown" of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo, and the honorific "Datu Sri Panglima" usually bestowed by the Sulu royalty.

"I admit I was elected by the real Sulu sultan, Sultan Roodinod, son of Sultan Julaspi Kiram, as his advisor around the year 2005 to deal with the Malaysia government regarding their welfare," Lokman said in a press release here.

Roodinod was recognised by the Malaysian government as the legitimate claimant to the Sulu Sultanate in 2008, for being the heir to Jamalul Kiram II who was proclaimed sultan in 1894.

Roodinod family's claim has been challenged by rivals with allegations that Jamalul Kiram II died in 1936 without leaving any children.

The last sultan of Sulu officially recognised by the Philippine government was Mahakuttah Kiram, who died in 1986. His eldest son Muedzul-Lail Tan Kiram was crowned sultan on September last year, and is one of the many claimants to the throne.

Lokman said he has not contacted Roodinod since 2007.

The panel member of the Department of Special Affairs (JASA) also claimed that he advised the sultanate voluntarily, and has never received any payment for his services.

According to Lokman, Julaspi was rescued by the Malaysian government in 1959, and lived in Sabah before the government gave him a residence in Lorong Maarof, Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur.

READ MORE HERE

Nur Misuari offers to mediate

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 03:19 PM PST

The Sulu sultanate claims that villagers retaliated after the police stormed Simunul village and killed an imam and his four sons.

(FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Nur Misuari, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman, has signalled that he is willing to help in talks to resolve the standoff in Sabah between an armed group of Filipino intruders and the Malaysian forces.

"It is my message to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that I am ready to send my grand-nephew who is his cousin to open up talks," Misuari told reporters at the celebration of his 71st birthday here on Sunday.

A Philippines-based website, Rappler.com, quoted the erstwhile friend of Malaysia as saying that he is also willing to personally go to Malaysia to help end the crisis.

Denying allegations he is funding the armed men involved in the Sabah standoff, he said he was offering to help out of concern for the children and women in Lahad Datu who "are now facing starvation and danger."

He said Malaysia had not responded to his offer.

He added that they would also not call for the surrender of those who opted to "return to their home" but would instead urge the Philippine government to act on the issue.

"This is an active claim. I want the Philippine government to act with determination. These men would not go there and sacrifice their lives if only the (Philippines) government had handled this issue," Adju was quoted as saying.

Misuari once enjoyed good ties with Malaysia which had allowed the MNLF to seek sanctuary in Sabah during president Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship.

Malaysian security forces however arrested him in Sabah in 2001, after he fled Sulu following a botched revolt in the province. The arrest led to his detention in the Philippines.

The site also quoted Samsula Adju, a member of the so-called Bangsamoro National People's Parliament as saying the move made by Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to send his men to Sabah only shows that the Sabah claim is very much alive.

Villagers provoked

Meanwhile supporters of the Sultan of Sulu in the east coast of Sabah hit back at the Malaysian security forces on the weekend after they were allegedly provoked.

At a press conference in Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III's home in Taguig City, a spokesman for the sultanate, Abraham Idjirani said the Malaysian police had shot dead an Islamic religious leader and his four sons and injured another imam in Simunul village in Semporna.

Said Idjirani: "The violence spread to Semporna after Malaysian policemen pretending to round up undocumented Filipinos stormed Simunul village in search of relatives of the sultan."

He said the Malaysian police shot dead a religious leader known as Imam Maas and his four sons whilst wounding another imam known as Jul after they were found to be helping Kiram's relatives.

He said the killings had angered the villagers, who then attacked the authorities and seized four Malaysian officials, whom he described as "highest" military officers, a policeman and an influential civilian.

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 12:53 PM PST

Nazri, who is the Padang Rengas member of parliament (MP), reminded that there had been a smooth handover of power in the five states which Pakatan won in the last general election. "We won't form the government by cheating or any other improper means... There was no unrest, no attempt to resist (handing over power) because we do not want to form the government if we don't get the mandate of the people. Why should we?"

Barisan Nasional (BN) has no qualms about handing over power to the opposition should it lose the people's mandate in the upcoming general election.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz gave this assurance today, saying they (BN) will follow the rules.

"We will gladly hand over and we will not stay one second more (than we should) if we lose the mandate of the people.

"We have shown that we faithfully stick to the rules and results," Nazri said in his speech at the International Conference on Malaysia 13th General Elections organised by the office of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Nazri's comments come amid Anwar's calls for the ruling coalition to guarantee a smooth and peaceful transition of power should Pakatan Rakyat win the most seats at the general election.

Additionally, Nazri's remarks reflect BN's confidence going into the 13th general election which is widely seen as the most hotly contested race in Malaysia's history.

Nazri, who is the Padang Rengas member of parliament (MP), reminded that there had been a smooth handover of power in the five states which Pakatan won in the last general election.

"We won't form the government by cheating or any other improper means... There was no unrest, no attempt to resist (handing over power) because we do not want to form the government if we don't get the mandate of the people. Why should we?" Nazri said.

After the 2008 general election, BN lost control of Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Perak while the PAS-led government continued to rule Kelantan.

However, BN returned to power in Perak in 2009 following the defections of three Pakatan assemblymen which swung the balance of power in the state.

According to Nazri, BN refused to accept several MPs who quit PKR into the ruling coalition's fold even though these independent representatives were pro-BN.

"We never attempted to induce them to join us unlike the Sept 16 fiasco to buy over MPs so that there can be a change of government.

"If you believe in electoral democracy, you don't do that. BN won't buy over MPs from the other side," Nazri said, referring to Anwar's failed takeover of the federal government on Sept 16, 2009 by engineering the crossover of a bloc of BN MPs.

During his speech, Nazri also stressed that elections in Malaysia has always been conducted in a free and fair manner, even if the system was not perfect.

Nazri maintained that the present government has been open to suggestion and is committed to reform in order to ensure future elections will continue to be free and fair.

"There is always room for improvement. If we didn't believe there was room for improvement, we would not have allowed the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms," Nazri said.

Fighting in Sabah rages

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 12:36 PM PST

(Inquirer, Global Nation) - Supporters of the sultan of Sulu struck back on Saturday night, killing five Malaysian policemen and seizing four local government officials in an attack that indicated an escalation of violence to other parts of Sabah after the killing of 12 of the sultan's followers in a clash with Malaysian security forces in Lahad Datu on Friday.

Abraham Idjirani, spokesman for the sultanate of Sulu, said an Islamic religious leader and his four sons were killed in the fighting in the seaside village of Simunul in Semporna town, 300 kilometers from Tanduao village in Lahad Datu, the site of a 3-week-old standoff between Malaysian security forces and a group of followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

Idjirani said two "highest" military officials, one police officer, and one "highest civilian" officer were being held by Jamalul's supporters affiliated with Alianapia Kiram, a brother of the sultan.

Reports coming from Malaysia said two supporters of the Sulu sultan were killed in the shootout with policemen.

Idjirani said the group of sultanate followers led by Agbimuddin Kiram, another brother of Jamalul, had "occupied and controlled" Semporna, which is populated by Filipinos from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and the Zamboanga peninsula.

Alim Hashim Mudjahab, chairman of the Islamic Council Committee of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), told the Inquirer in Zamboanga City that supporters of the sultan attacked a police station in Semporna on Saturday night.

"They freed more than a hundred Filipino Muslims who were arrested on Friday and they even captured the Malaysian police chief and his colleagues," Mudjahab said.

"We are worried because it seems that these reports are not important to the Philippine government," he said.

In Tawau, Mudjahab said, followers of the sultan attacked a convoy of Malaysian military trucks, "hurling dynamite commonly used for fishing."

"As we are talking now (11 a.m. Sunday), tension is spreading as far as Sandakan and there are reports that some Tausug residing in Kota Kinabalu are ready to fight the Malaysian authorities," he said.

Mudjahab said he received the information from "MNLF supporters in those areas."

But Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo, chief of the military's Western Mindanao Command, said he had not received information about an escalation of Friday's violence in Lahad Datu to other parts of Sabah.

Police raid

Idjirani said the violence spread to Semporna when Malaysian policemen pretending to round up undocumented Filipinos stormed Simunul village in search of relatives of the sultan.

He said the policemen shot one Imam Maas and his four sons and wounded one Imam Jul when they learned that they were taking care of the sultan's relatives in the area, Alianapia and Amir Bahar.

The killings angered the villagers, who attacked the authorities and seized four Malaysian officials.

Idjirani said the sultanate of Sulu blamed the fresh violence on the Malaysian government, which, like the Philippine government, refused to deal with the Kirams on their claim to Sabah.

Fourteen killed in stand-off between Philippine sultan and Malaysia

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 11:50 AM PST

(World Socialist Website) - Both the Philippines and Malaysia are currently in the thick of election campaigns. Najib and Aquino have responded to the stand-off with apparent reluctance and political embarrassment, each seeking to preserve local political alliances in the lead up to elections.

Fourteen people died in Sabah, North Borneo, during an exchange of fire between Malaysian security forces and the followers of the leader of a southern Philippine political dynasty, the Sultan of Sulu. There are conflicting reports, but it is clear is that 12 of the Sultan's followers and two Malaysian policemen died during the half-hour firefight on March 1.

On February 11, around one hundred people, with 30 to 40 small arms, sailed from the Sulu archipelago in the southeastern Philippines and entered Lahad Datu, in eastern Sabah, one of the 13 member states of Malaysia. They were led by Agbimuddin Kiram, who was sent by his brother Jamalul Kiram, one of two claimants to the title of Sultan of Sulu. Kiram is asserting an ancestral claim to the entire state of Sabah, a claim that has the longstanding endorsement of the Philippine government.

Malaysian security forces surrounded the remote village where Kiram and his supporters landed. Over the two weeks leading up to the shoot-out there was a bizarre and complicated stand-off between the governments of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Philippine President Benigno Aquino, and the forces of the sultan.

Both the Philippines and Malaysia are currently in the thick of election campaigns. Najib and Aquino have responded to the stand-off with apparent reluctance and political embarrassment, each seeking to preserve local political alliances in the lead up to elections.

Najib's ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) has been steadily losing political ground, in the face of an increasing downturn in Malaysia's export markets. Sabah is one of the Malaysian states in which the United Malays National Organization (UMNO)-led BN is most vulnerable, as it is one of five states where BN has lost in the past to the opposition Peoples Alliance (PR) coalition.

The initially hesitant response from Kuala Lumpur to the Sabah stand-off was dictated by Najib's desire to preserve political ties with sections of the local elite, who rely heavily on hundreds of thousands of Filipino migrant workers employed in Sabah's palm oil plantations. A souring of relations with the Philippines might jeopardize this supply of cheap labor.

UMNO has, through a calculated practice of preferential economic and political policies, deliberately cultivated its support base among the ethnic Malay population. The opposition PR has charged UMNO with selectively granting citizenship in Sabah to Muslim Malay populations, such as so-called illegal Filipino immigrants, under the auspices of 'Project IC' in a bid to shore up its political support in the state.

Philippine President Aquino meanwhile is seeking political advantage for his Liberal Party coalition in the upcoming midterm elections in May. The incursion of the sultan of Sulu's forces into Sabah places at risk the recent peace deal between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the establishment of an autonomous political entity known as Bangsamoro, intended to end decades of hostilities on the southern island of Mindanao. The Bangsamoro peace deal was brokered by Kuala Lumpur under Prime Minister Najib.

The peace deal was made at the instigation, and with the full support, of Washington, which has an eye to both the possibility of placing military bases within the autonomous Bangsamoro region, as well as to its use as a platform for cheap labor.

At the same time, however, members of the rival United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) coalition in the Philippines have begun to seize upon the opportunity afforded them by the Sabah stand-off to engage in political grandstanding, calling upon Aquino to defend Philippine national sovereignty and to assert the historical claims to Sabah.

The opposition parties in the Malaysian PR, particularly Anwar Ibrahim's Keadilan party, have denounced Najib for "compromising the security and safety of Malaysians" and said there is "no valid reason whatsoever for our Malaysian Armed Forces not to act to defend our country against the armed Sulu invaders." They called for a crackdown on "foreigners" in Sabah, who were becoming "a security threat to those born in Malaysia." This retrograde appeal to nationalism is an attempt to undermine UMNO's moves to expand its base of support in Sabah.

Under this mounting opposition pressure, Najib issued a deadline to Aquino for the sultan's forces to leave Sabah. Aquino, reluctant to appear to be relinquishing Philippine territorial claims, but under a great deal of pressure from Washington to push the peace deal with the MILF forward, equivocated. He said the Philippine government did not recognize Jamalul Kiram as rightful sultan, as there were several rival hereditary claims to the title. He thus avoided directly addressing the question of the territorial claim.

Malaysia Blocks PH Ship On Humanitarian Mission

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 11:43 AM PST

(Manila Bulletin) - The Philippine government has appealed to Malaysia to allow its humanitarian mission to enter Sabah to assist Filipinos affected by the bloody clashes between the Sulu Sultanate's army and Malaysian forces following reports that Malaysian border authorities have blocked the entry of a Philippine ship seeking to provide assistance to Filipinos living in Sabah.

Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has sent a note verbale to the Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines seeking permission for the Philippine contingent that will extend humanitarian and consular aid to Filipinos in Sabah.

"We have been asking for full access to those who are in custody and we were asking for the go-signal to be able to treat the wounded, to provide consular assistance," she said over government radio. "As of today, the ship remains at the border ready to be deployed as soon as we have the signal to do so," she added.

She said the government's main concern is the safety of the 800,000 Filipinos living in Sabah who may be affected by the gunfight in the area.

Amid the rising death toll, President Benigno S. Aquino III earlier called on the Filipino gunmen pressing claim over Sabah to surrender to avoid bloodshed. Aquino expressed concern about the welfare of other Filipinos whose lives are put at risk by the action of the Sulu sultan's followers in Sabah.

Valte said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has opened a "humanitarian corridor" in Sulu to assist families of the slain Filipino gunmen. The social workers will provide counselling and other assistance to families of those who perished in the gunbattle in Sabah, according to Valte.

Malacañang once again appealed to the loyalists of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III holding fort in Sabah to reconsider their defiance and surrender immediately "to preserve life."

Valte assured that the territorial claim on Sabah, which the Sultanate of Sulu has been fighting for, is now under study by the Philippine government.

"Surrender is the best way at this point to preserve lives of the people who are there," Valte said in Pilipino over government radio.

"I don't think anybody would really say that somebody needs to die for this. There is no need for more people to die. We have other ways on how to discuss and pursue their proprietary claim," she added.

Valte said no one has the right to endanger the lives of the 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah and the Republic just because of a proprietary claim by the Sultanate of Sulu.

The fate of the Filipino gunmen in Sabah, on the other hand, is now in the hands of the Malaysian authority, according to Valte.

"That is up to the Malaysian authorities. It is not a secret that they have control of the situation there at present," she said when asked if the Filipinos who surrender will be arrested or given safe passage back to the Philippines.

The Malaysian government earlier warned it would take drastic action against the Filipino gunmen if they don't surrender. At least 12 Filipinos were reportedly killed in the violent encounter with the Malaysian troops seeking to end the standoff that started early last month in Sabah.

President Aquino has called on Kiram's supporters to surrender without conditions to avoid violence but the Sulu sultan has rejected this request.

Valte said the invasion of the sultan's followers in Sabah was the "wrong method" to pursue their ancestral land since it was putting the lives of other Filipinos at risk.

She also compared the incident in Sabah to a home invasion where intruders demand to be heard. It is difficult to talk with intruders especially if they are armed, she added.

Allaying concerns the government has abandoned its claim over Sabah, Valte said the President has already ordered a study into the historical and legal context of the decades-old claim to the land.

Malacanang, meantime, could still not confirm if the President has already contacted Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak about the situation in Sabah.

When asked if the President has appealed to Malaysia not to kill the Filipinos in the disputed territory, Valte said the Philippine government has been "continuously coordinating" with the Malaysian authorities and the Kiram family to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict in Sabah.

She said the President continues to monitor the situation in Sabah and remains in contact with concerned government officials.

Meanwhile, senators yesterday urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to intensify dialogues and diplomacy with Malaysia as it pursues an immediate resolution to the crisis that erupted in Sabah.

Sen. Loren Legarda said the DFA should ensure that collateral damage among Filipinos in Sabah is minimized following the reported clashes between the Malaysian police and supporters of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III in Sabah.

Sen. Francis Escudero said the country's interest should be detached from the private claim of the Sulu Sultanate since involving the whole nation in it may affect the Philippines' good relations with Malaysia.

"My personal view is that the Sabah claim is a personal issue involving the Sultan of Sulu," Escudero said.

"It's a private right and a private claim. He cannot say, however, that Sabah is part of the Philippines," he pointed out. (With a report fro Hannah L. Torregoza)

19 Cops Rescued; Six Others Die In Simunul

Posted: 03 Mar 2013 11:32 AM PST

Some of the rescued policemen!

(Borneo Insider) - Police say they shot dead six armed men; another beaten to death by villagers

Police stormed a hide-out at Kampung Sri Jaya, Simunul late yesterday evening, killing five armed men and rescuing 19 policemen who were said to have been "trapped" since Saturday night.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar at a brief 9.00pm Press conference in Lahad Datu on Sunday also declared that the bodies of the 6 dead policemen have been identified and taken to the Tawau general hospital, before being released to their respective families.

It is understood that police stormed a house at Sri Jaya at about 4.30pm and another shoot-out ensued, and this time five armed men were killed. Another had been shot dead in the first fire-fight on Saturday.

The overnight raid on Simunul, a notorious seaside squatter settlement close to the district's Marine Police Headquarters, plunged the entire Sabah into a state of panic and shock.

All set and ready to leave Simunul for a temporary safer place.

But it ended 24 hours after it started, with the police suffering the loss of six of their colleagues who were apparently caught by surprise in an ambush at Lorong 6, at about 8.00pm Saturday.

But a bigger tragedy was averted. During the tense 24-hour intrigue, 19 policemen went missing; unaccounted for and this caused a major worry for their comrades.

The Borneo Insider was aware of this situation – we were given 23 missing initially – but chose not to reveal it, just in case it would muddy the actual situation. But four of the original missing 23 was later pronounced dead.

This was the scene at the Customs Jetty at noon Sunday. The occupants of this car were ordered down and a thorough search carried out by Marine police personnel who mounted the checkpoint.

We also knew that two policemen had died in the first ambush at about 8.00pm on Saturday.

Ismail declined to reveal the identity of the dead police personnel, added that mopping-up operations that involved checking through some 300 houses, ended at 7.00pm.

"It is over and the situation is getting back to normal,'' Ismail said in extending his condolences to the families of the police personnel who died.

The "rescued" policemen have since been taken to the district police headquarters while the bodies were brought to the Semporna hospital.

Ismail said that they have yet to establish the identities of the six gunmen shot dead.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Isnin, 4 Mac 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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