The group of Filipino intruders have vowed to defend themselves should Malaysian police move in with force to evict them from the coastal village in Sabah that they have occupied since earlier this month.
“We are ready to defend ourselves,” said Azzimudie Kiram, the brother of self-proclaimed Sulu sultan Jamalul Kiram.
Azzimudie, who is in his mid-60s, is leading the armed group in Kampung Tanduo, some 130km from Lahad Datu town.
In a phone interview with Malaysiakini this morning, Azzimudie repeatedly stressed that it has never been the group’s intention to clash with the Malaysian authorities.
“We want to live peacefully on our own land, but they are insisting on driving us out by force,” said Azzimudie, who sounded calm throughout the conversation.
“We want to talk to the Malaysian authorities peacefully and return to our land. Malaysians have enjoyed for many years the income of Sabah.”
Yesterday deputy police chief Khalid Abu Bakar had said the police intend to end the stand-off, which had been going on since Feb 12.
"We will end the stand-off and I advise people not to worry. God willing, we will solve the matter as soon as possible," he had told reporters in Lahad Datu yesterday.
Azzimudie has also rebutted previous media reports which claimed that there were internal squabbles among his men, after several of them wanted to surrender to the Malaysian authorities and subsequent gunfire was heard.
“No, no such gunfire, my people are under my control. It is not true. Those are false reports to weaken us,” he said.
Despite the blockage which had been set up by the police to cut off their food supply, Azzimudie claimed that his men have been surviving on bananas, while some local sympatisers have been supplying them with other resources as well.
“They are fine,” he replied, adding that no medical assistance is needed for his men.
Philippine president's appeal rejected
His brother, the ailing 74-year-old Jamalul, yesterday rejected the appeal of Philippine President Benigno Aquino for him to recall his men at Lahad Datu.
"I have already given my orders to them. And they have to stay put in that area," he was quoted as saying by Philippine Daily Inquirer.
According to the Philippine daily, Jamalul said his men would not go back home "until an arrangement has been done by our officials and the president, and arranged accordingly with a written agreement signed by the parties concerned".
Jamalul said that in the last conversation he had with Azzimudie on Monday, his younger brother told him that he and their 235 followers were firm in their decision to stay despite the food blockade.
In a statement read by his daughter Jacel Kiram, the sultan reiterated that Azzimudie and his men "will not initiate the violence... But we are prepared to defend our lives and aspirations."
He said the Sabah issue "can be peacefully settled without threat, but in a diplomatic way."
"Is it hard for Malaysia to sit down and diplomatically settle the issue on the claim? All we ask is for Malaysia to sit down with the Kirams and come up with a win-win solution," he stressed.
Jamalul, who has been suffering from diabetes for years, said he is ready to go to jail if the government filed a case against him and members of his clan.
"It's okay with me. I'm already 74 years old. An old man going to jail? It's okay.
"I cannot understand what violation I made... I have always respected the constitution.
"My brother went down there with his men and settled down in their own homeland. Is that a violation?" he queried.
Point of no return
At a press conference yesterday, Aquino again called on Jamalul to order his followers in Sabah to come home, saying the situation was nearing "the point of no return."
"We are fast approaching that point," Aquino said, apparently referring to the 48-hour extended deadline imposed by Malaysian authorities for the group to leave Sabah which has expired last night.
"The right thing to do now would be to order your followers to return home as soon as possible... If you choose not to cooperate, the full force of the laws of the state will be used to achieve justice for all who have been put in harm's way."
With the stand-off possibly heading towards a violent clash, Manila has strengthened the efforts to resolve it through diplomatic means.
Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Jose Brillantes has flown to Kuala Lumpur to help resolve the situation.
"We see that there would be a need for more people to help out in the coordination work... He's there to help ambassador (Eduardo Malaya) to help in coordinating the peaceful resolution of this issue," said Philippine department of foreign affairs spokesperson, Raul Hernandez.
"Being a senior diplomat and being a former ambassador in Malaysia, he will also have some contacts and he would be able to coordinate well with the Malaysian authorities to be bring the group home," Hernandez said.
A ship the Philippines plans to use to ferry Kiram's supporters home remains on standby in Tawi-Tawi.
Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Nampaknya polis akan membuat apa yang patut selepas ini dalam kes ini.
ReplyDeletePresiden Filipina Benigno Aquino memberi amaran kepada Sultan Sulu pada Selasa bahawa beliau akan berdepan tindakan undang-undang sekiranya tidak menamatkan pencerobohan pengikutnya di Sabah.
ReplyDeleteAquino memberitahu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III untuk memanggil pulang 180 pengikutnya supaya meninggalkan sebuah perkampungan nelayan dekat Lahad Datu yang diceroboh masuk sejak 9 Februari lalu.
kita harapkan penyelesaian akan ada selepas ini.
Delete"Sekiranya anda memilih untuk tidak bekerjasama, tindakan undang-undang negara ini akan digunakan untuk mencapai keadilan bagi semua.
ReplyDelete"Keadaan seperti ini tidak boleh berterusan. Jika anda seorang pemimpin sebenar pengikut anda, anda perlu bekerjasama dengan kami dalam mengarahkan mereka pulang secara aman," kata Aquino dalam satu kenyataan yang disiarkan sebuah stesen televisyen tempatan.
Polis bersedia untuk menamatkan pencerobohan yang melibatkan kumpulan Sulu di kampung Tandou, kira-kira 165 kilometer dari sini, apabila penceroboh bersenjata pada saat akhir tidak mempedulikan cubaan pihak berkuasa Malaysia dan Filipina untuk membawa mereka meninggalkan Sabah dengan aman.
ReplyDeleteKumpulan itu yang diketuai oleh Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram, yang mendakwa merupakan saudara kepada Sultan Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, masih ingkar dan menolak permintaan terbaru oleh Presiden Filipina, Benigno Aquino dan wakil Malaysia walaupun tiga tarikh akhir diberikan kepada mereka telah dilanjutkan, di mana yang terakhir berakhir pada Selasa.
ReplyDeleteSetelah membiarkan pasukan Sulu mengepung selama hampir tiga minggu, pasukan keselamatan Malaysia, yang menunggu untuk mendapatkan satu perintah untuk menangani kumpulan bersenjata itu, dengan tampil di beberapa lokasi strategik di dalam dan di luar sekitar perladangan Felda pada Selasa.
ReplyDeleteKerajaan dan pasukan perubatan tentera bersiap sedia bagi menunggu lampu hijau untuk mengusir kumpulan Sulu.
ReplyDeleteDitanya sama ada langkah menentang penceroboh Sulu akan dibuat dalam tempoh 24 jam yang akan datang, Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar berkata: “Mungkin. Kami bersedia untuk menamatkan pencerobohan ini.”
Polis memberi jaminan bahawa insiden pencerobohan kumpulan bersenjata rakyat Filipina di Kampung Tanduo, kira-kira 130km dari sini, akan ditamatkan secepat mungkin.
ReplyDeleteTanpa menyatakan bilakah sebenarnya ia akan berakhir, Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar berkata episod yang bermula sejak 12 Feb lepas akan diselesaikan secepat mungkin dan menasihati orang ramai supaya tidak bimbang.
ReplyDeleteDitanya tindakan yang akan diambil selepas tamatnya tempoh yang diberi pihak berkuasa kepada kumpulan itu Ahad lepas, Khalid sekadar berkata: "Tunggu dan lihat".Katanya tindakan boleh diambil pada bila-bila masa terhadap 150 orang penceroboh yang masih bertahan dan enggan keluar dari Kampung Tanduo.
ReplyDelete"Kita akan tamatkan stand-off sekarang ini. Cuma saya menasihati orang ramai supaya jangan bimbang dan jangan ragu-ragu. Insya-Allah, kita selesaikannya dengan secepat mungkin," katanya kepada pemberita di sini, Selasa.
ReplyDeleteApabila ditanya sama ada proses rundingan masih berlaku dengan kumpulan tersebut, Khalid berkata: "Saya tidak mahu lagi mengulas perkara (rundingan) itu".
ReplyDeleteKhalid juga berkata polis tidak tahu menahu mengenai dakwaan sesetengah pihak kononnya empat anggota keluarga Kiram (kerabat Kesultanan Sulu) telah ditangkap oleh pihak berkuasa.
ReplyDeleteTerdahulu selepas menerima taklimat mengenai perkembangan insiden itu di Komtek Sahabat 16 Batalion 17, Pasukan Gerakan Am (PGA) Felda Sahabat, Khalid menjelaskan kepada pemberita bahawa insiden pencerobohan kumpulan yang mengaku Askar Diraja Kesultanan Sulu masih di bawah tanggungjawab Polis Diraja Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteisu berkenaan masih ditangani sebagai isu keselamatan negara dan operasi turut melibatkan agensi keselamatan lain.
ReplyDeleteKeadaan di sini masih seperti biasa dan tujuan lawatan saya pagi ini semata-mata untuk menemui anggota saya di lapangan
ReplyDeletesetakat ini tidak terdapat sebarang unsur luar yang campurtangan dalam usaha polis menyelesaikan isu berkenaan dan menegaskan pihaknya tidak akan membenarkan sebarang campurtangan seperti itu menganggu urusan keselamatan negara.
ReplyDeleteTimbalan Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar berkata, Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM) masih bertanggungjawab dalam kes pencerobohan kumpulan yang mendakwa Tentera Diraja Kesultanan Sulu yang dikepung di Kampung Tanduao.
ReplyDeletePada masa ini pihaknya masih memainkan peranan utama dalam menyelesaikan kes itu yang kini telah pun memasuki hari ke-15.
ReplyDeleteBagaimanapun jelasnya, pihak polis terus mendapat kerjasama daripada semua pasukan keselamatan termasuk Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) dan sebagainya.
ReplyDeleteKita ada pasukan bersama dan ini adalah isu dalaman jadi ia masih dalam tanggungjawab PDRM.
ReplyDeleteMenteri Pelancongan, Kebudayaan dan Alam Sekitar Datuk Masidi Manjun, berkata industri pelancongan di Sabah tidak terjejas walaupun kejadian pencerobohan sekumpulan warga Filipina di Lahad Datu kira- kira dua minggu lalu.
ReplyDeletekerana kampung Tanduo, Tungku yang terletak kira-kira 130 kilometer dari pekan Lahad Datu di mana kumpulan itu dikepung pasukan keselamatan adalah kawasan terpencil.
ReplyDeletesetakat ini ia tidak menjejaskan sektor pelancongan di Sabah dan tiada pelancong yang membatalkan tempahan mereka.
ReplyDeleteMemang kita ada terima beberapa pertanyaan mengenai perkara ini tetapi saya memberitahu mereka bahawa Sabah selamat dan tiada masalah.
ReplyDelete“Ini kerana kumpulan penceroboh itu datang ke Sabah bukan untuk cari gaduh tetapi mereka datang untuk menunjukkan dan mendaftarkan tuntutan mereka kepada pihak berkuasa kerana mereka fikir mereka ada hak.
The Sabah Immigration Department has deported 1,346 illegal immigrants this year as of February 19.
ReplyDeleteCurrently there are 3,886 illegal immigrants waiting for deportation in all the three temporary detention centres (PTS) in Kimanis, Tawau and Sibuga.
ReplyDeletedirector of the Sabah Immigration Department, Datuk Mohamad Mentek said that 1,981 of the 3,881 illegal immigrants detained at the centres are former convicts who have been transferred to the department after serving their prison sentence.
ReplyDeleteMohamad also announced that the Immigration Department is working together with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Federal Special Task Force, Prison Department and the police to expedite the deportation process.
ReplyDeleteHe said the agencies will synchronise data to cut down the processing time.
ReplyDelete“Before this, some detainees who completed their jail sentences had to wait for a few more months at the detention centres for further processing.
“Now, with synchronisation, the Prison Department can inform the Immigration Department of detainees who will be transferred from prison a month earlier so we can check their documents.
ReplyDelete“If they don’t have any, we’ll get the Task Force to process their documents with the respective embassies before we deport them,” said Mohamad Mentek.
ReplyDeleteFilipino detainees will be deported via Sandakan and the Semporna Custom, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Centre, while Indonesian detainees will be deported via the Tawau CIQ.
ReplyDeleteHe said the agencies will meet regularly and update data on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteA DEFIANT leader of the armed intruders here admitted that they are running short on supplies but vowed not to back down until their demands are met.
ReplyDeleteBreaking his silence for the first time, the leader, identified as Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram, warned that they had sufficient arms and manpower to ward off any attack.
ReplyDeleteAzzimudie claimed they had more than 200 members and sufficient firearms.
ReplyDelete"We come here in peace and we don't want bloodshed but if the situation forces us, we will do so.
ReplyDelete"What we want is to claim Sabah, our ancestral land. The people of Sabah were originally Bajau, Iranun, Sulug and Ida'an while the Kadazandusun were refugees from Vietnam," claimed Azzimudie, who heads the group that calls itself the Royal Sulu Army.
ReplyDeleteHe vowed they were ready to turn Kampung Tanduo into their fortress as they continue to make their stand in the small coastal village in Felda Sahabat 17, Tungku.
ReplyDeleteThe group had occupied the village since it arrived on Feb 12 to stake a claim on Sabah.
ReplyDeleteThe Malaysian authorities had engaged the group leaders in a series of negotiations to persuade them to leave peacefully, but to no avail. Several deadlines were given but were ignored.
From the onset, the Malaysian authorities had stressed that it wanted to avoid bloodshed and hoped for a peaceful solution. The stand-off has now entered its third week.
ReplyDeleteBut he admitted that they were running out of food, as supplies had been cut and negotiations had ended.
ReplyDelete"We were given 48 hours to retreat but we will only do so if everything is settled," Azzimudie added.
Electricity and food supplies into the village have been cut off and police believe the group are now surviving on food from the 15 houses in the vicinity as well as crops and livestock from the area.
ReplyDeleteAll land and sea entry points to the village have been sealed.
ReplyDeleteWith the clock ticking, security forces are on stand-by and ready to move in anytime.
On Tuesday, Philippine President Benigno Aquino had warned the group not to test Malaysia's resolve and cautioned the sultan that he would face the full brunt of the law if his gunmen did not leave.
ReplyDeleteAt a press conference in Malacanang Palace, the Office of the President of the Philippines. Aquino told Kiram that because the deadline loomed, the situation was nearing "the point of no return ".
ReplyDeleteThe President said as president and chief executor of Philippine laws, he has ordered an investigation into possible violations of law by Kiram and his followers.
ReplyDeleteAquino warned the Sulu Sultan that he would face the "full force of the law"--possibly including arrest--unless he withdrew his armed followers from Sabah.
ReplyDeleteBut just minutes after his ultimatum, the ailing Kiram said that his followers would stay put in Sabah, in effect ignoring Aquino's ultimatum.
ReplyDeleteAfter Aquino's ultimatum, the Department of Foreign Affairs dispatched Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Jose Brillantes to Kuala Lumpur to plead for more time to settle the standoff. Malaysia's extension of the deadline on Wednesday was obviously the result of the trip of Brillantes, a former Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteA radio report early Wednesday said Malaysia's National Security Council (NSC) had taken over the standoff situation between the group of Sulu sultanate-led Filipino "intruders" and Malaysian authorities in Sabah. The radio report said Deputy Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar was coordinating with Sabah police and the military in trying to resolve the standoff.
ReplyDeletePencerobohan Sulu yang berterusan berlaku di daerah pantai timur Sabah masih tidak berubah bagi minggu ketiga pada Khamis.
ReplyDeleteBeberapa laporan menimbulkan serangan yang dilakukan oleh pasukan keselamatan terhadap kumpulan itu.
ReplyDeleteSatu laporan mendakwa beberapa tentera datang mendekati Kampung Tanduo di mana telah dikepong oleh para pengikut Kesultanan Sulu.
ReplyDeleteKehadiran anggota keselamatan yang ramai dilihat di beberapa lokasi strategi di sekeliling kawasan kampung di tepi pantai itu pada lewat Rabu.
ReplyDeletePolis Sabah turut enggan mengulas mengenai sekiranya tembakan dilepas di kawasan tersebut pada petang Rabu walaupun penduduk kampung berhampiran ada mendengar bunyi berkenaan.
ReplyDeleteKetua kumpulan Sulu, Rajah Muda Azzimudie Kiram memberitahu media Filipina bahawa anggotanya telah melepaskan tembakan sebagai amaran selepas mengesan apa yang didakwanya terdapat enam anggota keselamatan Malaysia memasuki kampung itu.
ReplyDeleteWalaupun mendakwa datang ke Sabah secara aman, Azzmudie memberi amaran bahawa para pengikutnya bersedia untuk “menentang sehingga bermati-matian sekiranya membangkitkan kemarahan mereka.
ReplyDeletepasukan tentera dan polis negara itu kini memantau serta bertukar maklumat dengan rakan sejawatan mereka di Malaysia dalam usaha mencari penyelesaian segera insiden itu.
ReplyDeleteSabah merupakan sebahagian dari Kesultanan Sulu sehingga Syarikat Berpiagam Borneo Utara British (British North Borneo Chartered Company) pada 1881 dan menjadi sebuah negeri naungan Empayar British pada 1888. Walaubagaimanapun, hal ehwal dalam negeri masih diselaraskan oleh Syarikat. Pemerintahan Syarikat tamat pada 1946 dan Sabah kemudiannya menjadi tanah jajahan Borneo Utara sehingga penyertaanya dalam Persekutuan Malaysia beserta Sarawak dan Singapura pada 16 September 1963.
ReplyDeleteusaha memujuk kumpulan bersenjata dari Filipina yang menceroboh Lahad Datu, Sabah, supaya meninggalkan kawasan itu sedang giat dijalankan. ia membabitkan rundingan bersama pasukan polis manakala pihak tentera membantu dari segi operasi pemantauan.
ReplyDeleteRisalah-risalah dalam bahasa Suluk meminta penceroboh rakyat Filipina menyerah diri disebar di sekitar kawasan Kampung Tanduo
ReplyDeletesejak risalah itu ditabur, belum ada maklum balas daripada kumpulan penceroboh itu.
ReplyDeletepasukan keselamatan tidak teragak menggunakan kekerasan sekiranya anggotanya terancam.
ReplyDeletesebarang tindakan oleh pihak keselamatan adalah berlandaskan peruntukan undang-undang serta mengambil kira sebarang kemungkinan dan kesan tindakan yang diambil
ReplyDeletePDRM masih bertanggungjawab menyelesaikan kes pencerobohan kumpulan warga asing yang mendakwa sebagai tentera Diraja Kesultanan Sulu di Kampung Tanduo
ReplyDeletepolis yang mengetuai operasi itu mendapat kerjasama baik daripada semua agensi keselamatan terlibat.
ReplyDeleteIni adalah isu dalaman negara jadi masih dalam tanggungjawab PDRM
ReplyDeleteSalute to our police and army.
ReplyDelete