Lahad Datu News Compilation Thread

[MidnightSun]

Monday March 18, 2013

Lahad Datu: Another terrorist shot dead

By RUBEN SARIO and SHAUN HO
[email protected]

Fastest mode: Police helicopters are used to fly injured security personnel as well as civilians from the ‘Ops Daulat’ areas.

LAHAD DATU: A four-day lull in the ongoing Ops Daulat was shattered yesterday morning when another gunman was shot dead by security forces, bringing the number of terrorists killed to 62 so far.

Army Field Command chief Leftenan-Jeneral Datuk Seri Zulkiple Kassim said security forces came into contact with a group of militants twice at 9.55am and 10.15am at Kampung Tanjung Batu.

“One gunman was killed in the second encounter and three others escaped. The fight with the other enemies is still ongoing and we believe they are still in the area, which has been surrounded,” he said during a press conference at Felda Sahabat 16 here.

Lt-Jen Zulkiple said security forces were conducting house-to-house checks for the gunmen, who were believed to have split up to avoid detection.

The last gunfight occurred on Tuesday when a soldier was killed and another injured along with three gunmen shot dead near Sungai Nyamuk not far from Tanjung Batu.

Lt-Jen Zulkiple said mopping-up operations were continuing in Kampung Tanduo and Tanjung Labian, adding that residents who had fled the two villages would be allowed to return to their homes once these places were declared safe.

Meanwhile, Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Hamza Taib said police were checking if the 104 people detained under the Security Offences and Special Measures Act 2012 had any links with the terrorists.

He said some detainees were believed to be related to the self-styled Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

Comm Hamza also said a man, who was detained for having suspected links with the terrorists, had died due to illness and not from suicide as reported in a Malay daily.

In Manila, individuals claiming to represent the Kiram clan insisted that there were still 170 gunmen in Sabah, including Jamalul's brother Azzimudie Kiram, who led the group to occupy Kampung Tanduo on Feb 9.

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 12:02:00 PM
Updated: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 3:23:40 PM

Lahad Datu: More skirmishes with Sulu gunmen

LAHAD DATU: Security forces carrying out mopping up operations encountered more Sulu gunmen in skirmishes in Kampung Tanjung Batu on Monday.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar told a morning press briefing that his men made contacts with the enemy and were pursuing them in the area.

He said the operation to clear Kampung Tanjung Batu of the remnants of the gunmen should be completed very soon.

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 2:20:00 PM
Updated: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 3:22:50 PM

Lahad Datu: Sultan orders men to go for guerilla warfare
By PATRICK LEE

Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III seen at his home in Taguig City, south of Manila, Philippines 17 March 2013. - EPA

PETALING JAYA: Self-styled Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III has ordered his men to engage in guerilla warfare against security forces in Sabah, according to a news agency report.

Jamalul was reported in The Philippine Star as saying that he has no intention of pulling his troops out of Sabah.

"They are already in their homeland, so why come back?" he told reporters in his Taguig City home, Manila.

The Sulu sultanate's spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, said the "struggle" in Sabah would continue.

Idjirani said that the ceasefire which the sultan had previously called for with the Malaysian authorities had been cancelled and the men were ordered to carry out "hit and run" attacks against the security forces.

In a previous report, several individuals in Manila claimed that some 170 gunmen are still in Sabah, including Jamalul's brother Azzimudie Kiram.

However, there have been conflicting reports of Azzimudie's whereabouts.

More than 70 people, including 10 soldiers and police officers, have been killed since the Sulu gunmen clashed with security forces on March 1.

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 6:21:00 PM
Updated: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 6:28:00 PM

Lahad Datu: Teacher who allegedly insulted security forces suspended

KOTA BARU: A teacher arrested for allegedly insulting security forces over the Sulu terrorist intrusion in Sabah has been suspended pending the police investigation.

The suspension of the 37-year-old the primary school teacher in the Pasir Puteh district took effect Sunday, said state Education director Hussain Awang.

"Following an investigation, we decided to suspend the teacher pending the police probe," he told reporters at the announcement of the 2012 Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examination results here Monday.

The teacher, in his Facebook posting, had allegedly insulted the security forces' personnel by referring to them as dogs and claiming that they had died in vain.

Eight policemen and a soldier were killed by the Sulu terrorists in villages in Lahad Datu and Semporna, which prompted the government to launch an offensive on March 5 to flush out the enemy. One soldier died in a road accident.

Sixty-two of the terrorists have been killed by the security forces so far.

Hussain reminded teachers not to issue negative statements or comments on the intrusion, saying it could undermine the security forces' operation against the enemy.

Meanwhile, the police Monday obtained a court order to remand the teacher for three more days. The teacher was arrested in Pasir Puteh last Thursday. - Bernama

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 9:22:00 PM
Updated: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 9:42:22 PM

Lahad Datu: Sabah CPO - Fewer than 50 Sulu gunmen left in Kampung Tanjung Batu

LAHAD DATU: There are believe to be fewer than 50 Sulu gunmen left in Kampung Tanjung Batu, said Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib (pix).

Expressing his confidence that they would be decimated soon, he said the security forces were unperturbed over self-styled Sultan Jamalul Kiram's warning that Sulu gunmen would embark on guerrilla warfare in Malaysia.

"Jamalul Kiram can say anything he wants. We are all out to flush them out," he said at a joint news conference with Army First Infantry Division commander Maj-Jen Datuk Ahmad Zaki Mokhtar at Felda Sahabat 16 near here, on Monday.

Hamza said two clashes occurred on Monday, the 14th day of Ops Daulat, between the security forces and the terrorists at 8.05am and 9.45am.

He said Malaysia and the Philippines were discussing a request to claim the bodies of 28 terrorists who were killed in the mopping up operations.

In Kuala Lumpur, Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said the mopping up operations in Tanjung Batu would be completed in two or three days' time before residents were allowed to return home.

New army tanks upon arrival at the Cenderawasih town in Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu on Monday.

"The operations in Sungai Nyamuk and Kampung Tanduo had been completed and we are now ascertaining damage suffered by villagers," he told reporters. - Bernama

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 9:48:00 PM
Updated: Monday March 18, 2013 MYT 9:55:55 PM

Lahad Datu: Three suspicious men arrested in Sandakan

Armed forces doing their rounds in Ops Daulat.

SANDAKAN: The police on Monday arrested three men, who were seen behaving suspiciously in Kampung Sim-Sim water village, here after receiving tip-offs from residents.

Sandakan police chief ACP Rowell Marong said the trio was held under the Security Offences Act (Special Measures) 2012 over alleged involvement in the Lahad Datu intrusion.

"Their identities have yet to be determined but no weapons were found on them," he said when contacted.

Rowell asked the people to report to the police on suspicious characters, but refrain from blowing certain incidents out of proportion.

The police are keeping the water village under surveillance following the arrest. - Bernama

 

[MidnightSun]

Manila not giving up claim on Sabah

March 18, 2013

President Benigno Aquino says both countries should go back to the negotiation table on the Sabah issue.

MANILA: In a clear indication that Manila has not given up its claim to Sabah, President Benigno Aquiino said Philippines is open to negotiating with Malaysia.

He said the two countries should embark on a rules-based approach to resolve the Sabah claim similar to the case filed by Manila against Beijing to address the territorial dispute over the Spratley Islands.

Speaking before the graduating class of the Philippine Military Academy, Aquino said regardless of whether the claims of the followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III were legitimate, an armed incursion into Sabah was not the way to resolve the dispute.

“Let us look at the situation in the West Philippine Sea as an example. Is it not true that, like in the issue of Sabah, we continue to hold firm to principles founded on a rules-based approach, towards a peaceful resolution of the dispute over the islands.

“If we were to resort to saber-rattling and violence, the problem would only grow bigger, and in all likelihood, would only carry over to the next generations,” the president said.

“We all know that for every action, there is a resultant reaction, and that there are problems that cannot be solved hastily—problems that will only beget more problems if we try to solve them through force or recklessness.

“What is needed here is a careful and truthful evaluation of the facts, and a subsequent negotiation along those lines, to produce the right solution,” he added.

According to the Philippine Standard, the president acknowledged that while he will not give up the country’s claim on Sabah, neither will Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“We already know how complicated this issue is: could any Malaysian Prime Minister so easily agree to let go of a land that, for so long, has been subject to their laws? Is there a Philippine President who would, without a second thought, give up our claim?”

Aquino even cited the Bangsamoro framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as example of how “earnest dialogue is more effective, more productive, and more beneficial to all.”

“Forbearance and reason are not equivalent to cowardice—on the contrary, these are the measures of true courage and resolve, because through these we are able to consider the well-being of not only those living in the here and now, but especially those in the years to come,” the president said.

Unnamed masterminds

Aquino repeated allegations that there were collaborators and financiers who helped the Kirams send a 235-member contingent to Sabah.

Without citing specifics or offering evidence, the president said the collaborators “gathered the funds needed to rent boats, to buy gasoline and food, guns and bullets” for the group led by the sultan’s brother, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram.

Aquino accused the still unnamed “masterminds” and collaborators of selfishly goading the Kirams into going to Sabah.

The sultanate of Sulu said Sunday they would ask the US government to arbitrate with the Malaysians to help resolve the Sabah issue.

“We are asking President Barack Obama to mediate in the peaceful resolution of our claim in Sabah with Malaysia,” Sultanate of Sulu Spokesman Abraham Idjirani said.

Brunei intervention

He said the US intercession to the problem would be the best option to resolve the problem in the affirmative way. “We believe US intervention will eventually enlighten Malaysia that the Sultanate of Sulu is the rightful owner of Sabah.” Idjirani said.

The sultanate also expressed optimism that the international community will intervene to peacefully resolve the issue of its historical and legal claim over Sabah.

Idjirani added that the sultanate was hopeful that Brunei, the country that gifted Sabah to the heirs of the sultanate, would intercede to resolve once and for all the legitimacy of the claim.

He added that Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah had reportedly conveyed a message to Najib Razak through Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.

Idjirani could not say what the contents of the message were, however.

“What we know, based on reliable sources in Washington, is that Bolkiah has conveyed a message to Prime Minister Najib pertaining to the Sabah issue,” Idjirani said.

 

[MidnightSun]

Start guerrilla warfare, Sultan to followers
March 18, 2013

A spokesman for the sultanate said the struggle in Sabah would continue.

MANILA: Followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III are not withdrawing from Sabah, and he has instructed them to conduct guerrilla warfare against Malaysian forces. Kiram said yesterday the withdrawal of his army, led by his brother Agbimuddin from Sabah, was not an option, the Philippine Star reported today.

“They are already in their homeland so why come back?” Kiram told reporters at his residence in Taguig City.

Abraham Idjirani, spokesman for the sultanate, said the struggle in Sabah would continue. He said the unilateral ceasefire order issued by the sultanate had been lifted and the sultan’s army had been ordered to conduct “hit-and-run” operations against the Malaysians.

Contrary to the Malaysian claim that Agbimuddin had fled, Kiram said his younger brother and his followers are still in Sabah eluding security forces. Sources, however, claimed Agbimuddin and some of his men have slipped to Sulu province.

A security official, who asked not to be named since he is not allowed to make any official statement, said Agbimuddin arrived in Sulu along with his escorts, with some of them from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The security official said Agbimuddin and his followers, could have made their way through Lahad Datu on their way to Sandakan and initially slipped to either Sibutu or Sitangkai.

“It could be the others who were intercepted were probably a decoy or diversionary for their entry,” the source said, referring to the arrests made by the Philippine Navy (PN) the other week.

The Navy apprehended three of them and subsequently intercepted 35 other royal force members, near Taganak Island, on board two motorboats with some firearms. The intercepted followers of the sultanate had been placed under custodial investigation in the marine base in Bato-bato, Panglima Sugala.

Malaysian authorities also expressed the possibility that Agbimuddin might have already slipped out of Sabah, but they continue their manhunt despite their earlier announcement that he might have slipped back to the Philippines.

“If we find him [Agbimuddin] here, we will arrest him,” Malaysia’s The Star Online quoted Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib as saying.

The Star Online also reported a suspected gunman from Agbimuddin’s group was killed in a gun battle with Malaysian security forces in Kampung Tanjung Batu.

“We believe they are still in the area and we have surrounded it,” Army field commander Lt-Gen. Zulkiple Kassim said.

Another killed

The Malaysian state-run news agency Bernama also reported the clash with Malaysian security forces that left one suspected gunman from Agbimuddin’s group getting killed. Bernama also quoted Hamza as saying that three other gunmen had escaped and are now being pursued by security forces.

Hamza said mopping-up operations are still ongoing in Kampung Tanduo and Tanjung Labian.

“The security forces are also conducting house-to-house searches in the operations area to trace enemy remnants,” Bernama quoted Hamza as saying. Malaysian officials said the clashes in Sabah have so far left 62 persons dead. A total of 104 persons have been detained in connection with the crisis.

The Star Online earlier reported the sultanate’s forces had been “totally defeated”. It said Malaysian authorities are running after about 50 sultanate followers. “Azzimudie [Agbimuddin] is also wanted in the Philippines, so if they catch him they will charge him there,” Hamza said.

Citing intelligence reports, Malaysian armed forces chief Zulkifeli Zin said Agbimuddin had managed to slip out of Malaysia and had abandoned his troops in Sabah. Idjirani denied this and said Agbimuddin is still with the forces in Sabah.

Idjirani said he had a talk with Agbimuddin before midnight on Saturday and he was informed that the group was intact. Idjirani said the royal army forces, which now had 170 men, broke into three groups to avoid Malaysian spy planes hovering in the jungles surrounding Lahad Datu.

Agbimuddin told Idjirani that Malaysian security forces even launched massive air and sea bombardment in the area. At one time, a laser guided air-to-ground missile hit but failed to explode when it landed right on the location of their group, he reportedly told Idjirani.

“If the bomb exploded it could have wiped out the group in the area,” Idjirani said. The MNLF, for its part, dismissed Zulkifeli’s statement that Agbimuddin has already left Sabah, saying it was a “cheap propaganda”.

“He [Agbimuddin] is still there and we learned from our people in Sabah that Datu Raja Muda is not returning to Sulu if Malaysia continues to ignore peaceful efforts of the Sulu sultanate to settle the issue in Sabah,” said Haji Gapul Hajirul, chief of the MNLF political bureau.

Days before claiming that Agbimuddin had abandoned his men, Malaysian officials issued numerous press statements claiming that the group sustained numerous casualties. Sympathisers of the Kirams believe the statements were just intended to demoralise the sultanate troops.

Leaving them to their fate

Kiram, for his part, confirmed the sultanate troops managed to slip through the military and police dragnet and are now safe somewhere in the jungles in Sabah. He said he is now leaving the fate of these men to Allah with strong confidence that they will attain their objective in reclaiming their proprietary rights in the disputed territory.

“I am confident we will attain our objective,” he said. The crackdown against the followers of Kiram has been blamed for the alleged human rights violations against Filipino migrants in Sabah. Malaysian officials, however, denied the Filipinos living in the disputed area are being maltreated.

Sabah is being administered by Malaysia but is being claimed by the Philippines. Kiram clarified they are only asking recognition of their proprietary rights that he said has been deprived from the Sultanate for centuries. Kiram said international expression of support for their cause began pouring since the outbreak of hostilities began early this month.

Aside from the UN, representatives of several European and Asian countries relayed their support to the Sultanate’s claim, he said. About 200 followers of the Sulu sultanate led by Agbimuddin went to Sabah last month to assert their claim to the area, which they consider their ancestral land.

Violence erupted after the sultan’s followers refused to leave the area despite the deadlines set by Malaysian government. President Aquino himself has asked the Kiram group to shun violence even as he threatened them by enumerating the possible cases they would face once they return home.

The Kirams, however, said they would rather die than surrender and lose their honour. Last week, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II met with Esmail II, another brother of the Sulu sultan, to discuss the sultanate’s “disengagement” from Sabah.

The “disengagement” was meant to end violence in the area, which hosts about 800,000 Filipinos. Jamalul, however, disowned the meeting and insisted that he had not authorised his younger brother to negotiate with Roxas.

 

[MidnightSun]

Malaysia Facing Policy 'Blowback'

The former head of a Philippine separatist group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), has Al Jazeera Told That Despite support from Malaysia in the 1960s, extract of his fighters Ada now Turned against the Malaysian government.

According to Nur Misuari, the MNLF fighters Ada joined the Royal Army of Sulu, Selatan has Been fighting for control of Malaysia's eastern Sabah state.

Al Jazeera's Jamela Alindogan reports from the Philippine capital, Manila, on whether Malaysia's foreign policy in the 1960s has backfired. - Sabahkini

Meanwhile, the leader of the Sulu Sultanate's armed followers battling Malaysian Forces in Sabah has fled the territory, contrary to what his own family is claiming.

Malaysian Military chief Zulkifeli Zin said intelligence reports showed Agbimuddin That Kiram, Younger brother of the Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III, managed to evade security limit Forces and slip out of Malaysia. Agbimuddin is also rates Called Raja Muda or crown prince.

"(He) has Abandoned his men and fled to his Homeland," Zulkifeli was quoted by local media as saying late Friday.

More than 200 followers of the Sulu sultan ENTERED Sabah last month to resurrect long-dormant Land Claims.

Malaysian Military Forces launched a assault on March 5 against the group, Sending prototypes fleeing from a farming village in Lahad Datu for hire limits Tenggara Been Holed up. The New Straits Times reported Kiram That is believed to Ada Slipped out of the farming area, surrounded by Malaysian Security Forces, by blending in with the local Military Population BEFORE the attack Completion of this month.

Malaysia on Friday asked the Philippine government in a letter to claim the Remains of Filipinos killed in Clashes in Sabah, the state-run news agency Bernama reported.

"If there is no response in three days, we will go ahead and bury the dead," Bernama said Quoting police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib of Sabah.

"Security Forces not have crippled the movement of terrorists in Sulu Sulawesi, and its leader Agbimuddin Kiram has fled to the Philippines," Bernama reported on its Twitter account. - Philstar.com

 

[MidnightSun]

Autopsies done on 22 of 28 bodies of terrorists

 

[MidnightSun]

Monday, March 18, 2013

Veteran Pinoy writer hits out at govt over Sabah

A veteran Filipino opinion writer who has decades of experience as a beat reporter has hit the ruling administration for what appears like its act of passing the buck to the Philippine media its inability to protect the rights of Filipino citizens in Sabah.

“The job of the media is to report as truthfully as it can of what is happening,” Ellen Tordesillas, a columnist for the broadsheet Malaya and the tabloid Abante, said on her Facebook shout-out yesterday. “The government can take up from there, if they want to protect and do justice to their citizens.”

She was reacting to a news report quoting Raul Hernandez, spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), as saying that the burden of proof on alleged human rights abuses being inflicted by Malaysian forces on Filipinos in Sabah lay on the media.

“They have the whole government machinery to do that,” she added. “If they find it problematic to protect their citizens, that’s their burden. Huwag nilang ipasa sa media (They shouldn’t pass the buck to the media). Grrrr.”

In the meantime, DFA said on Wednesday that four evacuation centres in Eastern Sabah now house 1,464 Filipinos, Indonesians and Timorese who had fled the town of Lahad Datu, in the state’s Tawau Division, where Islamist Filipinos from southern Philippines had been holing up to stake their claim Sabah.

These evacuees, together with 451 workers and their dependents, would want to be repatriated to their respective countries. Also, 50 Filipinos working at the Fook Ngiap sawmill in Tawau had also asked help for repatriation.

Reports said that 62 Filipinos and 10 Malaysian policemen and soldiers have died since March 1, when fighting broke out between Malaysian security forces and the followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram in Lahad Datu’s Tanduao village.

Malaysian forces have arrested over 100 Filipinos in Sabah on suspicion of having links to the group, led by the sultan’s brother, Rajah Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, and allegedly tortured them.

Over 200 Kiram followers sailed to Sabah from Tawi-Tawi, a province in southern Philippines, in speedboats on February 9 and occupied Tanduao, to stake the sultan clan’s ancestral claim to Sabah.

Hundreds of Filipinos have fled to the provinces on the Philippines’ second-largest island of Mindanao, to escape the fighting in Lahad Datu.

 

[MidnightSun]

Tuesday March 19, 2013

Lahad Datu: Two shootouts occur during security forces’ check for gunmen

Coming through : New APCs arriving at Cenderawasih in Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu.

LAHAD DATU: Skirmishes broke out for the second day between Sulu gunmen and security forces amid the mopping up operations at Kampung Tanjung Batu.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Talib said they could not immediately ascertain if there were any casualties among the estimated 50 remaining gunmen though there were no injuries reported among the security forces.

He said the shootouts occurred at 9.05am and 10.45am as security forces were checking the coastal village for gunmen.

“Our men are still clearing the Kampung Tanjung Batu area and hopefully it will be completed soon,” he said yesterday as 17 more armoured personnel carriers (APCs) were seen entering the Felda Sahabat area here.

When asked if family members of the self-styled Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III were among the more than 100 people arrested in connection with the intrusion, Hamza said “that’s the least of my concerns”.

“What’s important is to charge them (in court) instead of asking if they are related to Jamalul Kiram,” he said, adding that the media would be informed when the terrorists were charged.

On reports quoting Jamalul Kiram in Manila as saying that he had ordered his gunmen to stay put and engage in guerilla warfare against security forces, Hamza said: ”I have never believed what Kiram or his people have been saying and if they continue to fight us, they shall face the consequences.”

In SANDAKAN, district police chief Assistant Commissioner Rowel Marong confirmed the arrest of three men under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act in connection with the intrusion.

The men were arrested at Kam*pung Sim-Sim at 3pm yesterday.

Meanwhile, two pregnant women, 20 children and 13 other adults lived on palm oil fruit and water from nearby rivers for four days after security forces began their offensive against Sulu gunmen more than two weeks ago.

They got lost in the plantation while looking for a way out of Kampung Tanjung Batu and their nightmare ended when an estate supervisor found them.

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Tuesday March 19, 2013 MYT 12:20:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday March 19, 2013 MYT 1:28:30 PM

Lahad Datu: Tanjung Batu should be free of gunmen by today, says Hamza

Local residents wave at the convoy of army vehicles moving into Kampung Tanjung Batu during Ops Daulat in Lahad Datu.

LAHAD DATU: Security forces have deployed the armoured personnel carrier in Ops Daulat to flush the remnants of the Sulu gunmen in Kampung Tanjung Batu.

Sabah Commissioner of police Datuk Hamza Taib said the vehicles have better mobility and accessibility than the military tanks.

"We are better equipped now and can expect to complete clearing the Tanjung Batu area by today," Hamza told a press briefing on Tuesday.

Hamza said three more suspected gunmen were detained on Monday bringing the total held under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 to 107.

"They were picked up at Kampung Sim Sim in Sandakan," he added.

 

[MidnightSun]

Malaysian police reports 2 clashes with Sulu ‘invaders’ Monday

By Allan Nawal
Inquirer Mindanao
2:11 am | Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

Malaysian soldiers discuss strategies at Sungai Nyamuk where a stand-off with Filipino gunmen took place, near Tanduo village in Lahad Datu, Borneo’s Sabah state, Malaysia, on Thursday, March 14, 2013. Malaysian security forces twice clashed with the “royal army” during mopping-up operations in Tanjung Batu in Lahad Datu on Monday, March 18, 2013, Malaysian police Chief Insp. Gen. Ismail Omar said. AP PHOTO/MALAYSIA’S MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

DIGOS CITY, Philippines– Malaysian security forces twice clashed with the “royal army” during mopping-up operations in Tanjung Batu in Lahad Datu on Monday, Malaysian police Chief Insp. Gen. Ismail Omar said.

Speaking to reporters at the media center in Felda Sahabat, as reported by a Sabah-based radio station, Ismail said no casualty had been recorded on the Malaysian side and that it remained uncertain whether or not the “terrorists” also suffered injuries or even deaths in the two firefights that took place just 40 minutes apart starting 8:05 a.m.

He was quoted as saying the clashes had validated suspicions by Malaysian security forces that the “enemies” had moved farther into Tanjung Batu as their former hideaways in the villages of Sungai Nyamuk and Tanduo had been recaptured.

The state-run Radio 24, quoting Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib as telling reporters during the same news conference, said Malaysian security forces also suspected that Tanjung Batu had become the last frontier of the resistance of the “enemies.”

He said there could be fewer than 50 “terrorists” remaining of the more than 200 “invaders,” and that they had now converged in Tanjung Batu in an obvious “final battle.”

At least 62 members of the Sulu “royal army” had been killed, dozens injured and captured, while dozens more of others had fled Sabah and had been intercepted by authorities in the Philippines since Ops Daulat started on March 5. Malaysian security forces suffered casualties of eight policemen and two soldiers dead, the latest being on Sunday.

Army Division Commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Zaki Mokhtar, the state-run Berita Nasional Malaysia (Bernama) reported, had said the “terrorists” were apparently preparing for a protracted war as “ordered” by Sulu sultan Jamalul Kiram III. But Ahmad Zaki said Malaysian security forces were ready and would finish the battle in just a few days from Monday.

The Sabah crisis started from a stand-off on Feb. 12, three days after Jamalul’s brother Agbimuddin Kiram and his men arrived for a “homecoming” on the Malaysian state. Although they were not as sophisticatedly armed as the Malaysians—using mainly vintage rifles such as Carbine and Garand in addition to the traditional kris and machete—they had managed to stand up to the days of air strikes and artillery rounds, as well as ground assault by nearly 5,000 ground forces backed by armored personnel carriers.

Ahmad Zaki said more military hardware had arrived, including a “squadron of tracked Armored Personnel Carriers (APC)” to help ground forces with the operation. The new batch of APCs would be used in such “unreachable” areas as swamps, he said.

Bernama also reported that Malaysian Armed Forces Chief Gen. Zulkifeli Mohamad Zin had told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, also on Monday, that the police and military action in Tanjung Batu could wrap up within the next two or three days.

He also confirmed, Bernama said, that new army battle tanks had arrived in Cenderwasih in Lahad Datu earlier in the day although he was not specific on the number of the newly arrived hardware.

As this developed, the number of arrested persons in connection with the campaign against the sultanate of Sulu’s bid to retake Sabah, and for violation of restrictions against civilians in some areas, had already reached 349 as of Monday. One of those earlier arrested has died of illness in a hospital, Ismail said, which put the total number of “living persons” currently in detention at 348.

The new arrests took place in a water village in Sandakan after villagers tipped off the police about the presence of three suspicious men, the Sabah-based radio station reported Monday. Quoting an unidentified police source, the station said the three men were being detained under the Security Offenses and Special Measures Act (Sosma), which allows authorities to keep a suspected terrorist under custody for 28 days without being charged.

Bernama, which also carried a report on the Sandakan arrest, has quoted Sandakan police chief Rowell Marong as confirming the three men, whose identities remain unknown as of Monday evening, were nabbed on the water village of Sim-Sim. The police, according to the Sabah radio report, had said no firearm or weapon of any kind had been seized from the suspects, who were all of Filipino descent.

Bernama had quoted Rowell as saying the arrest of the three men prompted police to place water villages in Sandakan under tight watch. Water villages in Sabah had become the object of recent discussions among authorities following several arrests or deaths of suspected Sulu gunmen in these areas, which is mostly populated by the Orang Bajau, or people who trace their origin in Tawi-Tawi, since the Malaysian crackdown started.

Six of the 10 Malaysian casualties also died in a water village in Semporna district after an ambush by Sulu gunmen on March 2. Recently, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he favored the demolition of the water villages, whose proliferation he allowed when he was Malaysian leader because of humanitarian considerations for the Badjaos.

Mahathir, Malaysian media had reported, allegedly said the water villages had proven to be not only eye sores but also the source of pollution; and more importantly, the hideaways of criminals and, recently, “the terrorists.” But he clarified that Malaysian citizens and foreigners who had acquired permanent residency should be relocated.

“Those without identification or immigration documents have to be sent to their places of origin,” said Mahathir, who remains a powerful figure in Malaysian governance despite retiring as leader several years ago. In Sarawak, police authorities have tightened “security surveillance” to keep the “invaders” away.

Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, Sarawak police commissioner, had said the particular areas they were watching closely were the Sarawak districts of Merapok, Lawas and Limbang. He said the Sabah police were also keeping an eye on the Sabah district of Sindumin, near Merapok.

“Even though, there were still no threats evident in Sarawak, we are monitoring the security situation closely,” Radio 24 quoted Acryl Sani as telling reporters at the Miri airport, also on Monday.

 

[MidnightSun]

Indonesian president pushes for diplomatic solution to Sabah crisis

By Allan Nawal, Marlon Ramos
Inquirer Mindanao, Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:52 am | Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono: Diplomacy AP PHOTO

DIGOS CITY, Philippines—Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is pushing for a diplomatic solution to the Sabah crisis, the Indonesian news agency Antara reported Monday.

“I hope that the problem in the Malaysian state of Sabah between Malaysian security forces and a group of armed Filipinos could be resolved soon,” Yudhoyono was quoted as saying by Antara, which is monitored by the Inquirer in Davao del Sur.

The Indonesian president said that if the Sabah crisis was not resolved soon, he would “pursue a diplomatic approach in the near future, because it’s bad.” “It does not mean that Indonesia will intervene in Malaysia’s internal affairs, no,” Yudhoyono said.

He expressed concern about the conflict that had claimed more than 60 lives and hoped that the two parties could find a peaceful solution to the problem. Indonesia once had a territorial dispute with Malaysia over parts of Sarawak and Sabah. The dispute was later settled peacefully.

Indonesia and Malaysia share borders with Brunei in the former North Borneo, with Kalimantan as the Indonesian province nearest Lahad Datu, about 40 kilometers away, where the Filipino force landed last month.

At the height of Malaysia’s assault on the so-called royal army of the sultan of Sulu, many Indonesians fled their jobs in palm oil plantations in the area. Yudhoyono said he was also hoping that Brunei, as current Association of Southeast Asian Nations chair, “would take proactive moves to help resolve the problem peacefully.”

“This is a sensitive issue,” he said. “The problem must not be complicated further,” Yudhoyono said. “Therefore we must have the right stance,” he said.

‘Door is open’

Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III on Monday reacted to President Aquino’s statement at the Philippine Military Academy graduation on Sunday that only negotiations would resolve the Sabah crisis.

“That’s true. Negotiation is the most important thing right now,” Kiram told reporters in his house in Taguig City. “But until now, there are no negotiations taking place. As I’ve said, my house is open. My door is open to any negotiations,” he said.

Asked if he was willing to speak with Aquino, the ailing 74-year-old Kiram said: “Of course. He’s the President. Who wouldn’t want to meet with the President?” Kiram said it would be better if the President himself would meet with him so they could directly discuss matters regarding the decision of the members of the “royal sultanate forces” to enter Sabah last month.

“It would be better if we talk directly without any representatives,” he said. Asked by the Inquirer if he believed in the sincerity of the President in seeking a peaceful end to the crisis, Kiram said: “I don’t know. Don’t ask me that. I think you have to ask the public.”

“If he’s sincere, then he should (consider that) I’m a Filipino. He should only side with the Filipinos. But in this matter, he’s not siding with the Filipinos,” he said.

Arrested returnees

Abraham Idjirani, the sultanate’s spokesperson and secretary general, said if the Aquino administration really wanted to find a peaceful conclusion to the Sabah issue, it should recognize that “the proper party to the Sabah issue is the sultanate of Sulu now under the leadership of Sultan Jamalul.”

“The parties to this issue are not only Malaysia and the Philippines, but above all the sultan of Sulu,” he said. He said a comprehensive resolution to the problem “should not be done unilaterally, speaking for only for one interest.” Asked to comment on the President’s statement, Idjirani said: “If someone says something, he must mean it.”

Idjirani also disclosed that Kiram may consider lifting his order to the “royal security forces” in Sabah for cessation of hostilities, but said the sultan’s order for a unilateral ceasefire would remain. “The sultan might consider lifting the order for cessation of hostilities so our men would be able to defend themselves,” he said.

“Negotiations are accepted. But what did they do to the 36 royal security forces members who were intercepted (last week in Tawi-Tawi)? They filed cases. Is this a confidence-building measure? We have doubts on the actions of the government,” Idjirani said.

 

[MidnightSun]

Coast Guard identifies one of Filipinos killed in Sabah

By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
3:19 pm | Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

MANILA, Philippines—Jul Asbi, the alleged Filipino recruiter of at least 100 armed followers of Esmail Dalus Kiram, was among those killed during a March 8 clash in Sabah, Malaysia, between the supporters of the Sultan Jamalul Kiram II and Malaysian security forces, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

In a report, the PCG headquarters in Manila said Tuesday it learned of the death of Asbi from three of his recruits, whom the Coast Guard identified as Ruben Anok, 23, Joseph Mahabasal, 43, and Andmursalun Yusop, 30, all Tawi-Tawi residents.

Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo, the PCG spokesman, said Anok and Mahabasal, both residents of Bongao, and Yusop, who is from Sibutu Island, were intercepted by Coast Guard personnel on March 13 12 nautical miles off Omapoy Island, part of Tawi-Tawi, the country’s southernmost province.

“A PCG operation resulted in the confiscation of a .45-caliber pistol and six pieces of ammunition from the three men, who claimed to be armed followers of Sultan Esmail Dalus Kiram,” he said.

Balilo quoted the three men as saying they were “recruited last March 6 by Jul Asbi, whom they said was one of the trusted men of Sultan Kiram.”

“On the same day, they were transported from Tawi-Tawi to Tanjung Batu, Perdah in Sabah using a motor launch operated by a certain Hadji Musah Abdullah. Two days later, when their recruiter was killed in action, the three men escaped from Tanjung Batu using a stolen boat,” he said.

Upon the PCG vessel’s arrival at the Sibutu pier on March 13, Unok, Mahabasal and Yusop were turned over to the Philippine National Police station on the island, Balilo added.

 

[MidnightSun]

Wednesday March 20, 2013

Lahad Datu: 107 to be charged over Sabah incursion

By MUGUNTAN VANAR and STEPHANIE LEE
[email protected]

Over troubled waters: An AVC 300 inspecting a jetty in Felda Sahabat. — Bernama

LAHAD DATU: Over 100 people arrested in connection to the Feb 12 Sulu armed intrusion at Kg Tanduo about 135km from here are likely to face charges in court very soon.

Those arrested include suspected gunmen, uniformed personnel and villagers who might have directly or indirectly abetted the Sulu gunmen.

As of yesterday, 107 people were arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Somsa) and over 243 for various other offences including the Immigration Act and National Registration Act.

Some of them were arrested within the Ops Daulat area where security forces launched an air and artillery offensive on March 4 to flush out the terrorists from Tanduo before it spread towards villages in Tanjung Labian area.

Many others were arrested in Lahad Datu, Semporna, Kunak, Sandakan and other parts of the state.

Sabah police chief Comm Datuk Hamza Taib said the suspects were being investigated for various offences including possession of offensive weapons, suspicious personal documents and illegal entry, among others.

He explained that Somsa (which replaced the Internal Security Act) was used for investigations and charges would be filed under the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, gun fights continued between security forces and the Sulu terrorists in the Kg Tanjung Batu area where police estimate fewer than 50 gunmen were still hiding among the wooden stilt houses of the village whose occupants have fled.

He said the Personnel Armoured Carriers (AVC 300 Adnan) entered Kg Tanjung Batu yesterday to clear the area of remaining terrorists and other threats.

Hamza explained that the AVC 300 had better mobility compared with previous military tanks and could have better access in the operation zones.

“We are better equipped now and we expect to complete clearing the Tanjung Batu area in the next 24 hours,” he added.

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Wednesday March 20, 2013 MYT 1:02:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday March 20, 2013 MYT 6:08:48 PM

Lahad Datu: Eight charged with terrorist activities, waging war against King (Updated)

By RUBEN SARIO and STEPHANIE LEE

Eight suspects board the police trucks to attend a hearing at a makeshift courtroom on Wednesday.

LAHAD DATU: Eight people who were among a group of Sulu gunmen involved in a stand-off and subsequent attacks against Malaysian security forces, were charged here Wednesday with terrorism and waging war against the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

No plea was recorded from the eight men, from southern Philippines, after each of them was charged under Section 130 KA of the Penal Code with launching terrorism acts and under Section 121 of the Penal Code with waging war against the King.

Section 130 KA provides for a jail term of up to 30 years and while Section 121 provides for the death penalty, upon conviction.

Dressed in purple lock-up uniforms, the eight were charged before Sessions Court judge Amelati Parnell, sitting as Magistrate, at the hearing that began about 1pm.

Suspects are taken to the court under heavy police escort on Wednesday.

Senior federal counsel Datuk Nordin Ahmad led the prosecuting team.

The charges were read out Bahasa Malaysia while interpreters translated the proceedings into Suluk and Bajau at the hearing held in a makeshift courtroom at the new district police headquarters here that was under tight security since morning.

Upon Nordin's application, Amelati transferred the case to the Tawau High Court for hearing.

Immediately after the completion of the hearing at 1.45pm, the eight accused were seen boarding four trucks under heavy police escort to be taken to Tawau.

Media personnel were barred from entering the courtroom and were unable to immediately obtain details of the accused, including their names and ages.

One of the suspects (clad in purple) is surrounded by security forces in Lahad Datu on Wednesday.

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Wednesday March 20, 2013 MYT 5:17:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday March 20, 2013 MYT 8:47:02 PM

Lahad Datu: Bodies of 28 Sulu terrorists to be temporarily buried

By STEPHANIE LEE

Several bodies of the Sulu gunmen are kept in Lahad Datu hospital.

LAHAD DATU: The bodies of 28 Sulu terrorists kept at the Lahad Datu and Tawau hospitals will be buried temporarily pending any claims by relatives.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday that the temporary burial would be done as there was a lack of space at the mortuaries at the two hospitals as well as to prevent any health risk.

Khalid, who did not disclose where the bodies would be buried, said that anybody making the claim for the body would have to prove their DNA samples matched the dead gunmen before the bodies would be released.

"People from abroad who want to claim the bodies can register their intention with the Foreign Ministry while those in the country can go to the police," he said at a news conference also attended by Armed Forces Chief Jn Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin at the operations command centre in Felda Sahabat about 165kms from here.

On Ops Daulat, Zulkifeli, meanwhile, said that they were still carrying out mopping up operations for the remnant gunmen at Kg Tanjung Batu area and expect the operations to continue for a few more days.

"We want ensure that it is safe for the villagers to return to their homes, he said, adding that they wanted to search every nook and corner to ensure there were no terrorists still hiding out.

Since the Feb 12 Sulu gunmen intrusion of Kg Tanduo, a total of 62 Sulu gunmen have been killed while eight policeman and two soldiers (one soldier was killed in a road traffic accident) were killed.

 

[MidnightSun]

‘Sulu army chief – a Malaysian’

G Vinod | March 20, 2013

PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli claims that Agmibudin Kiram was a civil servant during the 1970s .

PETALING JAYA: Agbimudin Kiram, leader of the armed intruders in Lahad Datu, used to work as a civil servant in the state, alleged PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli. Speaking during a press conference held at the party headquarters here, Rafizi said this proved that Agbimudin holds a Malaysian citizenship.

“He used to work as an administrative assistant at the Kudat district office, proving that he is a Malaysian citizen,” said Rafizi. He later produced the list of Sabah civil servants in 1975, taken from the state archives. [See below]

The list shows Agbimuddin, known as Datu Agbimudin Kiram, employed as state administrative assistant in Kudat, starting Sept 9, 1974 with a salary of RM610. Rafizi also claimed that many in Kudat recognised Agbimudin as he was long serving civil servant there.

“From the people’s information, we managed to track the records. The Sabah chief minister (Musa Aman) also cannot refute this as he has the list in his acrhives,” he said. He later urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to answer whether the intrusion in Lahad Datu is linked to the infamous Project IC.

“How many of the intruders hold MyKads like Agbimudin? Why can’t Najib come clean on Agbimudin’s citizenship? Be honest about it,” said Rafizi. He also asked whether any of the foreign intruders hold valid Umno membership, claiming many of the local Bajaus and Sulus in Sabah were strong Umno supporters.

In view of the recent revelation, Rafizi said that he would organise a forum on the happenings in Sabah, on March 21. He also said that the forum would be attended by former police and military men, such as former army deputy chief Abdul Ghaffir Abdul Hamid and former Sabah Special Branch head Yusuf Barji.

“We will talk about Project IC and how Umno’s apathy had affected our national security,” said Rafizi. ‘Don’t accuse us’ On related matter, PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim criticised the government for trying to link the Lahad Datu intrusion with opposition leaders.

“I have been following statements coming from the Phillipines president and its media and none of them linked Malaysian opposition leaders to the intrusion. “But here, our government simply throw accusations against us. Half of our Cabinet members are making irresponsible statements against us.

“It shows how pathetic they have become,” he said.

A scanned copy of a document shows a “Datu Agbimudin Kiram” on the payroll of Sabah state government. — Image provided by PKR