Lahad Datu News Compilation Thread

[MidnightSun]

Wednesday March 27, 2013

Lahad Datu: Authorities trying to cut off funding for terrorists

LAHAD DATU: Security forces are taking their offensive against the Sulu terrorists one step further by clamping down on local sources of funding for the militants.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said they had found out that several individuals in the Semporna and Sandakan districts were sending money to the militants.

“The money was sent to recipients in the southern Philippine island of Jolo,” he said, adding it was the base of self-styled Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

Khalid said police had placed these individuals under surveillance and warned that they would be arrested if they continued sending money to Jolo.

“We believe the money is to help the terrorists. This is an act of betrayal of the country and an offence under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012,” he said.

Khalid said offenders could be sentenced to life imprisonment or receive the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

He did not disclose the number of individuals nor the amount of money involved, but said the penalty under the law was the same for any sum sent.

A total of 116 individuals continue to be detained under the Act in connection with the ongoing Ops Daulat against the Sulu gunmen.

Khalid said 42 people detained under the same law had been released as of yesterday.

He said security forces had also removed 42 bodies, including those of two children, out of the operation area in Kampung Tanjung Batu while 29 bodies had been buried.

 

[MidnightSun]

Wednesday March 27, 2013

Lahad Datu: Injured cop managed to stay hydrated for 21 hours

By LEE YEN MUN
[email protected]

PUTRAJAYA: A Special Branch officer, who was injured in a shootout with Sulu invaders in Sabah, relied on rainwater to keep him hydrated and alive for 21 hours before he was rescued.

Insp Mohamad Hasnal Jamil, 31, said he felt like dying after being slashed six times with a machete three on the right arm and three at the back of his head.

Three M16 shots grazed his stomach and left arm, leaving the officer bleeding severely and without medical help.

This happened during the first shootout between Malaysian security forces and the Sulu invaders in Semporna on March 2.

Six policemen were killed in the incident.

“In the attack, nine of us sought shelter in an empty wooden house. I felt like dying. All I could do was hold on in pain and pray.

“The other members of the team kept me motivated and gave me rainwater, so I was able to strengthen my spirit and fight the thoughts of giving up,” Insp Hasnal said in his first public appearance after the incident.

He was met by reporters in a ceremony here to receive monetary aid under the Lahad Datu National Warriors Fund collected from staff of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry and its agencies.

Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob presented a mock cheque totalling RM228,794.90 to the families of 10 security personnel who were killed and three others who were injured in the line of duty in Sabah.

“We were rescued from the abandoned house at about 5.30pm the next day.

“By then, the blood flowing from the wounds on my body had dried up and flies were hovering around me,” said Insp Hasnal, who also suffered severed tendons and broken bones.

In spite of what happened, the father of one said he had no fear nor qualms about going back to work.

“For as long as we live, we must continue to protect our country,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone), Ismail Sabri said the move should not affect traders in a negative way.

On Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the formation of Esszone, which would cover 10 districts, to prevent incursions and to safeguard eastern Sabah.

 

[MidnightSun]

More security bases in east coast Sabah

FMT Staff | March 27, 2013

The government has allocated RM5.09 million for bullet-proof vests, helmets and Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) equipment, firearms and ammunition for its ESSZONE operations.

LANGKAWI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will open six new bases in the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (ESSZONE) to tighten coastal security in the area, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Maslan.

He said MMEA would also beef up asset strength for the ESSZONE by adding five ships and five patrol boats. MMEA currently has 52 floating assets operating to guard the coast of eastern Sabah. The six bases will be opened in Kudat, Felda Sahabat, Kunak, Indera Sabah, Beluran and Jambongan.

“The move is to further tighten security in ESSZONE and also complement other security agencies,” he told a press conference after delivering the keynote address at the Asian Coast Guard Conference here today.

He added that the government had also allocated RM5.09 million for MMEA to buy gear like bullet-proof vests, helmets and Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) equipment, firearms and ammunition for its ESSZONE operations, which would be delivered to the agency at the latest by April 15.

On manpower, Ahmad said MMEA’s staff strength in the ESSZONE would be at around 400 officers and men. Meanwhile, he said the government also planned to streamline the service scheme of MMEA as it had done for the police and the armed forces.

“I have discussed this with the Prime Minister [Najib Tun Razak] and it will be considered,” he said. In TAWAU, Minister in the Sabah Chief Minister’s Department Nasir Tun Sakaran has backed a proposal for the inclusion of the Semporna in the ESSCOM.

Nasir, who is also Senallang assemblyman, said among the reasons why Semporna should be included was its close proximity to a neighbouring country. “We laud the creation of ESSCOM as announced by the prime minister in Lahad Datu.

“But we also want Semporna to be included in ESSCOM. Like the Lahad Datu district, Semporna is also close to the neighbouring country. So, security strength must be there too,” he said.

Nasir was commenting on a suggestion by Rural and Regional Development Minister and Semporna MP, Mohd Shafie Apdal, to take the matter to the Cabinet as Semporna was not listed among the five districts in ESSCOM.

Based on history, said Nasir, Semporna was the target of pirates or “mundu” in the local language, and the kidnapping incident on Sipadan Island by armed terrorists from a neighbouring country in 2001, also targeted the district.

 

[MidnightSun]

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Cops: some in Semporna, Sandakan funding the terrorists

LAHAD DATU: Certain individuals in Sandakan and Semporna have been sending money to Jolo island in the Philippines to support militants.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said these people were under surveillance and would be arrested for treason.

The sending of money to finance militants in Jolo was a serious offence and those involved could be arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), he told a news conference at the operations command at Felda Sahabat 16.

He said they could be prosecuted under laws which provided for life imprisonment or the death penalty upon conviction.

he said 429 individuals had been arrested and 116 of them were being held under Sosma while 42 had been released so far under "Ops Daulat."

He also said that 42 bodies, including those of two children, had been brought out of the operations area in Kampung Tanjung Batu while 29 bodies had been buried.

Khalid said 20 heads of households were taken to Kampung Tanduo Tuesday, accompanied by officers from the Lahad Datu District Office, to enable them to check on their houses and other property.

Meanwhile, a very weak armed intruder surrendered to the security forces on Monday.

He was in a very poor state after not having enough rest and nothing to eat for 15 days.

"I hope the remaining intruders will surrender as we know they are not in a good state as they do not have a leader or any direction," he said, adding the man surrendered at the swampy areas in Kg Tanjung Batu.

He also said that 29 out of the 40 corpses that have been taken out from the operation areas have been buried at an unidentified area.

Khalid also added on Tuesday morning, 20 people including Kg Tanduo village chief, heads of families and members of the security council have been taken into the village to look for damages there and to inspect their properties for compensation purposes.

 

[MidnightSun]

Agbimuddin Kiram remains in Sabah, says niece

By Allan Nawal, Karlos Manlupig
Inquirer Mindanao
5:47 pm | Wednesday, March 27th, 2013

Rajah Muda Agbimuddin Kiram. FILE PHOTO

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Agbimuddin Kiram remains in Sabah and continues to evade Malaysian security forces, the daughter of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III said here Wednesday.

Jacel Kiram told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview that Agbimuddin regularly calls to assure family members he remains safe despite continuing operations by 5,000 Malaysian soldiers and policemen backed by armored vehicles to flush him and other remnants of the so-called “royal army” of the Sulu sultanate out of their suspected hideouts in Lahad Datu, Semporna and Kunak.

“The latest call was yesterday (Tuesday),” she said. Jacel said that although the conversation did not last more than 30 seconds, it assured them that Agbimuddin never deserted his men in Sabah, as Malaysian security officials have been claiming.

Jacel told a news conference later that Malaysian policemen arrested and later executed a cousin of her father identified as Ustadz Jamjam Sali last Sunday. There had been no previous report of the alleged killing of Sali or any arrest conducted by Malaysian authorities on Sunday.

The Inquirer called up a Sabah-based reporter and he said he had not heard of any “terrorist” killed by Malaysian security forces on Sunday. Jacel said the killing of her uncle was disclosed to her family in a telephone call from Agbimuddin, who said Sali was arrested in Lahad Datu on Sunday after Malaysian security officials had ascertained he was a Kiram relative.

“My uncle and his family have been living in Sabah since the 1990s,” Jacel said. She said, however, that details of the arrest and eventual killing of her uncle were unclear as of Wednesday.

In the interview with the Inquirer, Jacel said that while Agbimuddin’s ill-equipped group has suffered many casualties since March 5, the group was not demoralized because of the growing support among Filipinos “agitated by human rights violations committed by Malaysian forces.”

“Those who are fighting right now are not just the 200 men. That is why the Malaysian authorities are having a hard time in fighting because they are fighting against the people,” Jacel claimed.

She continued to blame the Malaysian government for the bloody outcome of the Kiram followers’ “homecoming” to Sabah, saying Agbimuddin and his group “did not go there to fight.”

“They decided to go there out of frustration over the inaction of the government. They just wanted to spend the last days of their lives in Sabah. Many of them are already in their senior years,” Jacel said as she pointed to the decades-old Sabah claim that the Manila government has not actively pursued.

Despite the bloody outcome of the “homecoming,” Jacel said the Kiram clan “still wishes to resolve the hostilities in Sabah.” “We do not want war,” she added as she stressed her former claim that Agbimuddin and his men were simply defending themselves against the onslaught of Malaysian forces.

“They have less than 30 firearms, that’s why they are using barong (machetes) and dos por dos (wooden truncheons) against sophisticated weapons. If their intention in going there was to wage war, why bring a small number of firearms and bladed weapons only?” Jacel asked.

Malaysian Armed Forces Chief General Zulkifeli Zin has said there was no point in talking peace with the Kirams anymore as Operasi Daulat was nearing completion. He credited public cooperation, particularly the provision of information to security forces as one of the reasons the operation against Agbimuddin and his men was succeeding.

“Some villagers have even joined security forces in the operation to capture the Sulu terrorists who are getting weaker as their leaders have abandoned them and their armory store,” the state-run Malaysian news agency Bernama reported Zulkifeli as saying. “Public cooperation enabled the security forces to capture a Sulu terrorist general and his wife at a swamp in Semporna last Saturday.”

Zulkifeli was referring to the capture on March 23 of “Royal Security Force” general Amir Bahar Hushin Kiram, 50, and his wife, Gina Teves, 47. The couple was nabbed at a marshy area in Kampung Sri Melor Bugaya in Semporna district around 1:30 a.m. following a tip-off, according to an earlier report by Malaysian police deputy chief Khalid Abu Bakar.

 

[MidnightSun]

Malaysia vows to get leader of Sulu band

Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:04 am | Wednesday, March 27th, 2013

Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram is seated at extreme left with brothers Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, Sultan Bantilan Esmail Kiram II and (standing from left) Datu Alianapia Kiram, Datu Phugdal Kiram and Datu Baduruddin Kiram. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Malaysia has vowed not to stop until it gets Agbimuddin Kiram, leader of an armed group from Sulu whose incursion into Sabah last month has taken the lives of dozens of Filipinos and Malaysians.

After establishing a coastal security zone in eastern Sabah, the Malaysian government is also encouraging Sabahans to be more vigilant to prevent further incursions into the territory by followers of the sultan of Sulu who are trying to retake the state from Malaysia.

The Eastern Sabah Security Zone, completed last week and manned by police and military troops, has been established to watch the coastal areas of the state for intruders from Sulu.

Speaking at the 206th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Malaysian Police in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Prime Minister Najib Razak praised the residents of Senalang village in Semporna town for taking head on a fighter from Agbimuddin’s group on March 3.

The fighter, a member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), gathered the villagers at a mosque and threatened them with his M-16 rifle. But at one point the fighter made the mistake of lighting a cigarette. The moment he lowered his rifle, the villagers rushed him and clubbed him to death.

“In their attempt to defend themselves and the country, the terrorist was killed,” Najib said. “Their deed and bravery are most appreciated,” Najib said.

Out of Sabah

The leader of the intruders, Agbimuddin, a brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, is believed to have abandoned the so-called Royal Security Forces of Sulu and North Borneo and slipped out of Sabah at the height of a police-military crackdown on the intruders at the start of March.

But Philippine authorities say they have no information that Agbimuddin has returned to the Philippines, while his family in Manila insists that he is still in Sabah. Malaysian Attorney General Gani Patail, speaking in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, said Agbimuddin can not escape the long arm of the law.

“You commit such an offense and we will go after you.” Gani told reporters.

According to Malaysian military information, Agbimuddin survived air and artillery strikes in Tanduo village in Lahad Datu district on March 5 and could have slipped out of Sabah through a route well known to MNLF fighters who used the area for training at the height of the Moro rebellion in the 1980s.

Agbimuddin, whose so-called security forces are MNLF fighters, is believed to be hiding in southern Philippines, moving from island to island to avoid detection. He could have fled Sabah on March 15 and part of his group, consisting of 38 people in two boats, was intercepted by the Philippine Navy off Tawi-Tawi on that day.

Preliminary probe

Agbimuddin’s 38 followers are facing criminal charges, including inciting to war, in a Tawi-Tawi court. The court has ordered a new investigation of the 38 because they were arrested without warrants.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Tuesday that she would designate a group of prosecutors to handle the new investigation. The new investigation does not mean the government’s case against the 38 is weak, De Lima said.

“[The new investigation] is a remedy provided under the Rules of Court,” she said. “They were arrested without warrant, and one remedy available to [them] is a reinvestigation, or preliminary investigation,” she added.

De Lima explained that after the arrest of the 38, they were put through an inquest and they were unable to present evidence in their defense. A preliminary investigation will give them that chance, she said.The suspects are being held in a naval base in Tawi-Tawi.

Wanted man

On orders from President Aquino, Agbimuddin has been declared “a wanted man” in Tawi-Tawi, according to Gov. Sadikul Sahari. The government’s plan is to bring charges against Agbimuddin and imprison him here.

Malaysia, however, can ask the Philippines to hand over Agbimuddin under a legal assistance treaty approved by all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

In the Philippines, Agbimuddin can expect to be charged with offenses with international application, such as inciting to war, for which he could draw life imprisonment.

In Malaysia, Agbimuddin can expect to face charges of terrorism and waging war against Malaysian King Abdul Halim for his intrusion into Sabah. He could be given the death penalty.

Fighting between Agbimuddin’s group and Malaysian security forces has taken the lives of 65 fighters from his group and eight policemen and two soldiers on the Malaysian side.

No local report

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said on Tuesday the Philippines had no information to bolster the Malaysian military report that Agbimuddin had returned to the Philippines.
“We have no report to that effect,” Gazmin told reporters.

He said the Philippines and Malaysia had agreed to share information about Agbimuddins’ incursion into Sabah. The Malaysian security forces have deployed 12 battalions to hunt down Agbimuddin and his men, Gazmin said. Agbimuddin’s group has reportedly split into small units that have spread out to other parts of Lahad Datu to escape pursuing troops.

“Remember [Agbimuddin] has been there for quite some time and he has been moving in and out of Malaysia, so he knows the terrain,” Gazmin said. “He has a lot of relatives. Once upon a time he was a (local official) so he knows the area,” Gazmin said, referring to Malaysian information that Agbimuddin once served as a local official in Sabah, and is a Malaysian citizen.

If it is true that Agbimuddin is Malaysian, then Malaysian laws should apply to him while he is in Sabah, Gazmin said.

Asked if the government is verifying Agbimuddin’s real citizenship, Gazmin replied: “I cannot give you a definite answer on that. Maybe we are. But we have not found any conclusive answer yet.” Gazmin described Agbimuddin as like a fish in the water. “Take out the water, you find the fish,” he said.

Under control

Agbimuddin’s family in Manila denies he has returned to the Philippines, saying Malaysian talk of his fleeing to Sulu is merely “propaganda.”

The Malaysian military has declared Tanjung Batu, the last scene of fighting between security forces and Agbimuddin’s men, under full government control.

Reports from Nikko Dizon and Christine O. Avendaño in Manila; Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao; and Malaysia’s The Star/Asia News Network

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Thursday March 28, 2013 MYT 5:49:00 PM
Updated: Thursday March 28, 2013 MYT 6:41:19 PM

Lahad Datu: Hotels experienced 35% drop in business during standoff

By YUEN MEIKENG

KUALA LUMPUR: Hotels in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau experienced a 35% drop in business during the standoff in Lahad Datu, says Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

"This (the drop) was expected. Some 800 tourists cancelled their tour packages to Sabah," she told reporters after launching the Malaysia International Shoe Festival at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

Dr Ng, however, assured that the state was currently safe for travel.

"I just visited Semporna and Tawau last week," she said.

She added a task force that will use aggressive programmes had been formed to revive the tourism industry in the state.

Dr Ng said the ministry would also organise a water regatta event during the last week of April as part of its efforts.

On Feb 9, a group of Sulu gunmen invaded Lahad Datu and attempted to lay claim on Sabah.

 

[MidnightSun]

Friday March 29, 2013

Lahad Datu: Imam Tua’s militant guard shot dead in Kampung Simunul

LAHAD DATU: A Sulu militant was shot dead after he assaulted the Malaysian security forces personnel with a barong (a type of machete) during a search at a house in Kampung Simunul, Semporna.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said the incident occurred when the security team was carrying out an integrated mopping up and search operation in the village at 8.40am yesterday.

He said the man, in his 60s, suddenly tried to hack a security personnel, using the sharp object.

“The security personnel managed to fire a shot at his assailant. Initial investigations found that the assailant was the bodyguard and an aide to Sulu terrorist, known as Imam Tua,” he said at the operation centre in Felda Sahabat 16 here.

Imam Tua was one of the terrorists killed in the gun battle with the national security forces at the water village on March 2, which also claimed the lives of six Malaysian policemen.

Hamza said following a search at the house, the security forces team arrested two women, aged 45 and 30, who were the wife and daughter of the militant.

Both did not have any valid travel documents, he said.

He added that four men were also arrested during the operation. — Bernama

 

[MidnightSun]

Friday March 29, 2013

Lahad Datu: Sabah is safe to visit, says Yen Yen

KUALA LUMPUR: Hotels in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau experienced a 35% drop in business following the terrorist attacks in Lahad Datu, says Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

She said some 800 tourists cancelled their tour packages to Sabah during the period, when a group of foreign gunmen invaded Lahad Datu on Feb 9 and attempted to lay claim to Sabah.

“I visited Semporna and Tawau last week and can give an assurance that Sabah is safe to visit.

“A task force has been formed to encourage Sabah tourism activities. The ministry and state government will organise a water regatta event in the last week of April,” she said after launching the Malaysia International Shoe Festival at the Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday.

Dr Ng said the tourism industry is the third largest revenue earner for Malaysia and contributes RM60bil annually and provides 1.8 million people with job opportunities.

At another event, Dr Ng urged employers to provide parental care facilities for elderly parents of their workers.

“It is time that employers have amenities for elderly parents, aside from having childcare centres at the workplace.

“My mother is 96 years old. She is lonely whenever I’m at work. I thought how nice it would be if she could come to my workplace and that we have a parental care centre for her,” she said at the Women In Leadership (WIL) Forum Asia in a hotel here.

WIL Forums founder Sophie Le Ray said Malaysia was advanced in terms of women representation in leadership roles.

“Malaysia has set the trend in creating a quota for women to be part of a company’s board of directors. You also see quite a number of powerful female leaders in the public and private sectors,” she added.

Le Ray said only 6% of the board of directors in companies worldwide were women and more must be done to increase the number.

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Friday March 29, 2013 MYT 8:30:00 PM
Updated: Friday March 29, 2013 MYT 8:49:35 PM

Lahad Datu: Bank Negara monitoring currency outflow to Sulu terrorists

BACHOK: Bank Negara Malaysia is monitoring currency outflow via the Sabah border to curb funding for Sulu terrorists responsible for the intrusion in Lahad Datu.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin said all banks operating in Sabah should promptly report to the central bank withdrawals on a big scale.

"Investigation can be done under the Money Laundering Act. Accounts of the withdrawers can be frozen if there is proof," he told reporters here Friday.

Monitoring could be done in more detail such as requiring the withdrawer to give the delivery address and reason for sending the money, he said commenting a statement by economist Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam that currency outflow is difficult to detect as it can be done in the black market via post, trade account or smuggling.

Awang Adek said the ministry could not prevent withdrawal of money on a small scale as it was in conflict with the country's international trading policy.

However, if the withdrawal involves a big sum with minimum of RM30,000, the bank may report it to Bank Negara Malaysia for further action.

"Bank Negara Malaysia will make a report to authorities including the police for the purpose of investigation," he added. - Bernama

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Friday March 29, 2013 MYT 8:59:00 PM
Updated: Friday March 29, 2013 MYT 9:09:11 PM

Lahad Datu: Fewer than 10 Sulu gunmen remain, says Sabah police chief

LAHAD DATU: Fewer than 10 Sulu gunmen remain from the 200 that landed in Kampung Tanduo, said Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib.

"I can't say that there are no more terrorists. I believe they still exist but their number is small, probably less than 10," he told a press conference at Ops Daulat headquarters in Felda Sahabat 16 on Friday.

To date, security forces have killed 68 terrorists while 121 people were detained under the Security Offences Act (Special Measures) 2012 and 443 others for various offences.

Mopping-up operations have cleared five villages that were the scene of clashes between security forces and terrorists.

With Kampung Tanduo, Kampung Tanjung Batu and Kampung Tanjung Labian clear, security forces are now focusing on Tanjung Bilis and Lok Buani.

Residents of Kampung Tanjung Labian will be allowed to return after family and village heads inspect their houses with an assessment team on Saturday.

Hamza added that 20 to 25 residents of Kampung Tanjung Batu whose houses were not seriously damaged would be allowed to return home on Saturday, while those with destroyed houses would continue staying at temporary evacuation centres.

Security forces will remain stationed in the villages as a security measure.

"In addition, we will also perform other policing services to restore the confidence of the people," Hamza added. - Bernama

 

[MidnightSun]

Filipinos fleeing Sabah reach 4,771

March 29, 2013

The number of Filipinos fleeing Sabah is expected to increase as the crisis remains unresolved.

MANILA: The number of Filipinos who have fled Sabah since fighting broke out early this month between Malaysian security forces and followers of the sultanate of Sulu has reached 4,771, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported.

As of March 28, the NDRRMC said a total of 944 families have left Sabah for the Basulta (Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) region and are being assisted by government.

Of the number, 2,861 persons are adults and 1,860 are children.

The number of Filipinos fleeing Sabah is expected to continue increasing as the crisis remains unresolved and amid a crackdown by Malaysian authorities on both undocumented aliens and those suspected of supporting the sultanate.

Six schools in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, each able to accommodate up to 60 families, have been readied in anticipation of the continued influx of evacuees.

To date, P10.39 million worth of food and non-food items have already been provided to the returning Filipinos with an additional P13.403 million provided for other humanitarian operations.

Because of the continued arrival of evacuees, the Department of Social Welfare and Development plans to set up a 24/7 “one-stop-shop processing center” in Taganak, Tawi-Tawi to provide the displaced with psychosocial intervention, legal documents, skills training and livelihood assistance, among others.

The Sulu sultanate, meanwhile, said it would not lift the unilateral ceasefire it earlier declared although Sultant Jamalul Kiram III said this would place his followers in Sabah at a disadvantage.

Malaysia says it has killed more than 60 of the sultanate’s followers since hostilities broke out on March 1.

However, they have yet to get the Sulu crown prince, Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, who led more than 200 followers to Sabah in February to press their claim to the territory.

Malaysia claims Agbimuddin has fled Sabah, but this has been denied both by the sultanate and the Philippine government.

-Agencies

 

[MidnightSun]

Saturday March 30, 2013

Lahad Datu: Tanduo village closed for good

By MUGUNTAN VANAR
[email protected]

Off to new homes: Heads of families from Tanduo village are taken to see their new homes and their belongings at Sungai Merah.

LAHAD DATU: A decision has been made to permanently close the seaside Tanduo village, which was the centre of a battle between Malaysian security forces and Sulu gunmen.

The 20 families from 15 homes would be resettled at a 121ha site at Sungai Merah, adjacent to the Tanduo village, said Tungku assemblyman Datuk Mohd Suhaili Said.

“The Tanduo village is proposed to be made into a security base under the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone,” he said, explaining that the village was found to be suited strategically as it sat between the Sulu Sea and the Sulawesi Sea.

Suhaili told reporters that the new settlement would be equipped with facilities such as a clinic, kindergarten and surau, among others, that would ensure the safety and comfort of the villagers.

Some 200 Sulu gunmen, led by Raja Muda Azzimudie, intruded into Tanduo on Feb 9 that led to a three-week standoff between them and Malaysian security forces. The latter launched a massive air and artillery attack to flush them out on March 5.

Seeking divine intervention: Watched by security personnel, two Kampung Tanjung Batu residents pray in front of their burnt houses. — Bernama

Ten days later, security forces took back Tanduo.

Most of the villagers claimed that the Sulu gunmen had looted their homes of household items such as television sets, sofas and refrigerators during the standoff.

Their homes were also damaged during the fighting.

Police are continuing their mop-up operations for remnants of the gunmen in neighbouring Kg Tanjung Batu, Kg Tanjung Labian and Kg Sungai Bilis Suhaili.

The residents are taking shelter at three community centres in Felda Sahabat.

The villagers, including those in Kampung Tanjung Batu and Kampung Tanjung Labian, had gone on a shopping spree buying television sets, fans, refrigerators and even air-conditioners when they received electricity supply last month.

They had just begun enjoying the facilities when the foreign gunmen appeared in the remote coastal settlement.

When the villagers moved to safety at community halls, they feared that the gunmen might cart away the electrical items or loot their houses when they were away.

 

[MidnightSun]

Pakatan questions Lahad Datu troop deployment

Leven Woon | March 31, 2013

Pakatan Rakyat forms its shadow National Security Council to be headed by a former army chief.

PETALING JAYA: Former army chief Hashim Hussein today questioned the deployment of soldiers from Peninsular Malaysia to deal with the Lahad Datu incursion by Sulu gunmen when the matter could have been handled by Sabah-based troops.

He asked if there had been any political reasoning for the marginalisation of Sabah-based troops as, according to him, the army personnel from two bases in Sabah were more than enough to handle the crisis.

“There is a commander stationed in Sabah, and there are two army bases there. They are the ones who are more well-versed in local geography and demographics. Why weren’t they deployed?

“The total number of the enemy was not so many, why did we have to send the highest-ranking officials from here? Why didn’t we leave it to the local commander? “The Sabah troops were not given priority. Even when the gunfight broke out in Kampung Tanduo, it was the special police force which was deployed to the frontline. “As a person with military background, I think there is an involvement of political elements in the Lahad Datu incident,” said the former army chief who retired in 2002.

Hashim raised these issues at a press conference called by Pakatan Rakyat today to announce the setting up of Pakatan’s People Security Advisory Council (MPKR).

Also present were PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, PKR’s Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul, PAS’s Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar and former deputy secretary-general of the Home Ministry Ismail Hamzah.

The MPKR will function as Pakatan’s shadow National Security Council to scrutinise the government’s defence and security policies, procurement of weapons and provide alternative plans.

Hashim is the interim chief of the council. He said the council would advise Pakatan on the assessment of threats, defence strategies, force capability and capacity-building.

He said the council also aimed to raise public awareness on the security issues, adding that the other members of MPKR would include lawyers, former civil servants and former army personnel.

Why weren’t we better prepared?

Mahfuz, meanwhile, said MPKR would equip the opposition pact with better defence and security knowledge in case it wins power in the coming general election. He also criticised the National Security Council for deviating from its original functions, saying that it is now the guardian of BN political power.

He said the National Security Council’s weaknesses were clearly shown in the Lahad Datu incident as it failed to correctly analyse intelligence reports collected to prevent such incursions.

“We have purchased so many weapons, we have held so many Lima (Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition), but how could the enemy still land in our country without permission?”

“Is it because they [the authorities] only purchased weapons to get commissions?” he asked, adding that the Pakatan’s MPKR would ensure transparency on the matter.

 

[MidnightSun]

Temporary Lahad Datu ICQS centres operational from Tuesday

March 31, 2013

14 officers to be deployed temporarily at each ICQS and command post and will include the Intelligence and Enforcement units of the Immigration Department.

LAHAD DATU: Three Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) inspection centres will be operational in the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) area beginning Tuesday.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the three temporary offices created would be operational in Lahad Datu, Kudat and the Kerakit Integrated Immigration Command Post, Pulau Banggi.

“Twelve cabins will be used as temporary offices of which, six would be at the ICQS Lahad Datu, four in Kudat and two in Pulau Banggi. All the cabins had arrived at the locations on Thursday,” he said at a press conference while visiting the Lahad Datu ICQS site, here today.

Hishammuddin said 14 officers would be deployed temporarily at each ICQS and command post which would also include the Intelligence and Enforcement units of the Malaysian Immigration Department.

“The initiative to create the ICQS and command posts was one of the measures to tighten up security control in the east coast of Sabah besides facilitating entry to foreigners from the east coast waters possessing valid travel documents using the routes gazetted,” he said.

He believed the implementation of ESSCOM, which would be monitored by Prime Minister Tun Razak as chairman of the monitoring committee, and Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman as Chairman of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE) and ESSCOM director Mohammad Mentek represented an important component in ensuring the security of the state.

Hishammuddin also visited three ESSCOM cabins placed at the Region 4 Marine Police Operations Force Base, Lahad Datu.

Bernama

 

[MidnightSun]

More Filipinos expected to flee Sabah as conflict drags out

MARCH 31, 2013

A total of 944 families, comprising 4,983 people and nearly half of them children, have been displaced by the ongoing armed conflict. — Reuters file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — Nearly 5,000 Filipinos have fled a restive Sabah and more are expected to sail back to their homeland as Malaysian security forces move in to root out Sulu militants holed up there, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported today.

A total of 944 families, comprising 4,983 people and nearly half of them children, have been displaced by the ongoing armed conflict, the newspaper reported, citing the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The Philippine Department Social Work and Development (DSWD) is anticipating the arrival of more displaced persons from Sabah and has budgeted some 13.4 million pesos worth of food and supplies, the paper reported.

The report also said Philippine government has set aside six more schools in its southern provinces Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi as “processing centres” and will be setting up a 24/7 one-stop shop to help provide legal documents and train up the displaced Filipinos so they can find shelter and jobs, among others.

A 200-strong Sulu group under the leadership of Agbimuddin Kiram had landed near Lahad Datu on Sabah’s east coast last February 9 to renew his clan’s alleged 17th century stake over the north Borneo state, resulting in violent clashes have killed 10 Malaysian security forces personnel and scores more gunmen.

Malaysia launched “Ops Daulat” on March 5 to flush out the armed southern Filipinos after weeks of negotiation failed to result in a peaceful resolution.

Manila has said it will not abandon the sultanate’s claim over Sabah, even as Malaysian authorities insist the claim is no longer valid.

 

[MidnightSun]

Sabah radio: Sultan’s men decimated

By Allan Nawal
Inquirer Mindanao
3:55 am | Sunday, March 31st, 2013

DIGOS CITY—Malaysian police claimed on Saturday it had “nearly decimated” armed supporters of the Sultanate of Sulu which recently attempted to reclaim its historical ownership of Sabah.

Speaking over Sabah-based radio, whose broadcast was monitored here, Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib said the operation against “Sulu terrorists,” which entered its 25th day on Saturday, was coming to a close. He said the Sulu gunmen had significantly dropped to less than 10 from more than 200 when the operation began on March 5.

“They were either killed or captured,” Hamza said.

The latest to be killed, according to Hamza, was a “60-year old terrorist” who tried to hack a member of the Malaysian police during a search in Simunul, Semporna district on Thursday.

On the same day, a brief clash also took place in Lahad Datu, he reported. Hamza said the man’s identity had not been fully established but initial investigation showed he was “the bodyguard and an aide to (another) Sulu terrorist, known as ‘Imam Tua.’”

“Imam Tua” was among those reported killed in the clash that ensued following an alleged ambush by the Sulu forces in Semporna, during which, six policemen were also slain.

The Malaysian government said since the launching of their “Operassi Daulat” (Operation Sovereignty) last month—during which Malaysian Air Force planes dropped bombs on an area in Felda Sahabat while some 5,000 ground forces backed by armored personnel carriers combed the grounds—68 “Sulu terrorists” were killed while 121 people were detained under the Security Offenses Act and Special Measures or Sosma.

“I can’t say that there are no more terrorists. I believe they still exist but their number is small, probably less than 10,” state-run Berita Nasional Malaysia quoted Hamza as telling journalists during an earlier press conference in Lahad Datu.

 

[MidnightSun]

Hard to separate Royal Sulu Sabah Army R.S.S.A. from Sabahan villagers—Malaysian officer

By Allan Nawal, Karlos Manlupig
Inquirer Mindanao

Malaysians have not been very open about what they felt on the deaths of the children, especially after the filing of charges against a Sabahan Teacher for criticizing Malaysian security forces in their handling of the crisis.

But some Malaysian journalists – speaking on conditions of anonymity – had told the Philippine Daily Inquirer these bloody clashes proved that Malaysian security forces were edgy about the Royal Sulu Sabah Warriors – citing the massive deployment of soldiers and policemen even if the “intruders” only numbered about 200.

In the aftermath of Sunday’s “clash” in Tanjung Batu, which also resulted in the death of an adult male and female and the wounding of a soldier, Zulkifilee said since the “intruders” looked similar to the locals, distinguishing the locals and the intruders has been difficult.

In Davao City, Princess Jacel Kiram said Sunday’s arrest of Amirbahar Kiram, was proof that the Malaysian government was singling out people with Sulu ancestry as her cousin was never part of the “royal army.”

“He is not a commander,” Kiram said, describing Amirbahar as the son of his uncle, Sultan Bantilan Ismael Kiram II.

Kiram also said the “courage” of the “royal army” members who went to Sabah had appalled Malaysian authorities because even if they were not armed with more advanced and sophisticated weapons like the Malaysian security forces, they and their supporters have been able to put up a fight, “using available resources including farm tools.”

“They have less than 30 firearms that is why they are using barong (machete) and dos por dos (wood slabs),” Kiram said.

She also said the high death toll among the Sulu warriors was acceptable because “it is guns and bombs against barongs.”

Kiram also denied allegations that the “fighting forces” were promised payments but claimed their motivation was “the compounded rage of the people after decades of oppression and maltreatment in Sabah.

“Those who are fighting right now are not just the 200 men. That is why the Malaysian authorities are having a hard time in fighting because they are fighting against the people,” she said, even likening it to the Edsa Revolution.

“This is also people power,” Kiram said.

She also reiterated the family’s claim that Agbimuddin has been staying in Sabah, adding that “We were still able to talk to him this morning.”

With the massive arrests of people with Sulu ancestry – now numbering over 400 – Malaysia Maj. Gen. Zulkiflee Mazlan said security forces “have to be very careful.

 

[MidnightSun]

Monday April 1, 2013

Lahad Datu: Police looking for relative of Sulu Sultan

LAHAD DATU: Police are seeking a man with a title, a relative of the self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, in connection with their investigation into the Feb 9 intrusion by gunmen in Lahad Datu.

It is learned that the wanted man is being sought by authorities investigating links in the financing of the intrusion.

According to sources, it is believed that several other Malaysians were also being investigated for funding the Sulu armed group that entered Kampung Tanduo before security forces flushed them out on March 5.

The sources said the man might not actually be holding a Malaysian title but could be a family member of the self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan.

Meanwhile, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said they were looking to contact Datuk Seri Muhammad Ridzwan Sulaiman (pic) from George Town in their investigation into the intrusion.

Speaking at the daily press briefing at Felda Sahabat Residence, Hamza said Muhammad Ridzwan, who is in his 50s, is believed to be the president of Pertubuhan Kebajikan Al-Ehsan Islamiah Malaysia.

 

[MidnightSun]

Published: Monday April 1, 2013 MYT 11:40:00 AM
Updated: Monday April 1, 2013 MYT 10:56:07 PM

Lahad Datu: 'Datuk Seri' detained over possible links to Sulu incursion

By SHAUN HO

"Datuk Seri" Muhammad Ridzwan Sulaiman.

KUALA LUMPUR: Al-Ehsan Islamiah charity foundation president Datuk Seri Muhammad Ridzwan Sulaiman was detained Monday under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 over possible links to the Lahad Datu intrusion by Sulu gunmen, said his personal assistant Hasbiallah Hakaman.

He was taken from the Ampang Jaya police station, where he had surrendered himself earlier Monday, in an unmarked police car with escorts.

He was not seen to be handcuffed and is believed to be on the way to the Selangor police headquarters in Shah Alam.

In Lahad Datu, Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Hamza Taib told reporters that Ridzwan was arrested to facilitate investigations pertaining to the Sulu intrusion and could be detained up to 29 days.

Earlier Monday, Ridzwan told reporters that he did not know the self-styled Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, the man behind the group of armed Sulu intruders who entered Sabah in February with the aim of reclaiming it.

However, Ridzwan admitted giving money to another claimant to the Sulu throne, Sultan Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram.

On Sunday, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said they were looking to contact one Muhammad Ridzwan from George Town in connection with their investigations into funding of the intrusion.

According to sources, it is believed that several other Malaysians were also being investigated for funding the Sulu militants who entered Kampung Tanduo before security forces began flushing them out on March 5.

Ridzwan was supposed to give his statement at the Dang Wangi police station but changed the location at the last minute.