KOTA KINABALU - Former Chief Ministers Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee on Friday questioned how to the intrusion of more than 100 armed foreigners in Tungku, Lahad Datu could have happened before it was detected by the Malaysia security authorities.
“In view of the fact that our international borders with Indonesia and the Philippines are known to be active with militant elements, there has to be complete review of the security intelligence network in that part of Sabah,” he said in a statement.
As for the demands- recognition as Royal Sulu Sultanate Army and to stop deportations of Sulu people from Sabah- he said these are merely excuses by the intruders.
He said the idea of giving recognition to the group that is linked to the Sulu Sultanate is akin to giving them legitimacy.
And the demand to stop deportations of Sulu people should not arise at all as Malaysia of Sulu origin who are already residents in Sabah on Independence Day in Aug 31, 1963 are considered Malaysians.
“Therefore the tactic to bring up the issue of deportation of illegal immigrants is only meant to draw sympathy among some of the local population and to widen their conflict both in the Philippines and in dealing with the Malaysia authorities.
“If anything such demand (to stop deportation of illegals) will only make things more difficult for the illegals of Sulu origin as this demand will stir unnecessary suspicions against the community,” he said.
Further on the intrusion, Yong said, the people should have every confidence in the Malaysia security forces to eventually repel the intrusion in Tungku.
He said this is because the armed forced and the police have the preparations, training, equipment and experienced personnel in handling such intrusion.
“One example is the military exercise in 1997 involving paratroopers and ground forces in the same locality near Tungku that I personally witnessed as the then Chief Minister.
“The exercise specific strategic objective was to evict foreign armed intruders,” he said. The particular area in Tungku, he said, has wide sandy beaches and shallow waters.
“And being isolated, it is an ideal place for smugglers and intruders.” He said.
Yong said it was also the area earmarked for the landing of coal for the aborted coal-fired power plant.
Yong’s concern was also echoed by Star Sabah Chairman, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who said it is worrying and raises a lot of questions with regard to security.
No guarantee that they won’t return: Jeffrey
He also asked if the Prime Minister was really in a position to guarantee Sabahans protection from military attacks or invasions.
In a statement, he said, Sabah agreed to from Malaysia with Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya in part to have security from possible attacks from the Philippines and Indonesia.
“These are the questions in the minds of concerned Sabahans following what transpired in Lahad Datu,” Jeffrey said.
“The fact that we have been receiving inconsistent details of what really happened speaks volumes about the efficiency of our security personnel.
“We have been denied the explanation on how these huge numbers of intruders managed to penetrate our supposedly well-guarded border, even until they have landed and reached an estate area in Lahad Datu.
“We are told they came in pump boats while another information says they came in tourist boats.
“This is ridiculous. How could at least 80 ‘heavily armed’ people in military uniforms be in tourist boats and not been noticed? Do we have a lot of tourist boats crossing the Sulu-Sabah border on a daily basis?
“Who operates such tourist boats? And are they carrying tourists from Sabah to Sulu or vice versa?” he asked.
“We are told these people are not militants, but what else should you call a group of people in combat uniforms who are ‘heavily armed’? Just because they are not from the MILF, MNLF or Abu Sayyaf doesn’t mean they are not militants.
“In fact the claim that they want to be recognized as the Royal Sulu Sultanate Army and demanding that the Sulu people in Sabah be not deported back to their homeland is clear proof of their militant objective.
“And keep in mind that the many people who claim to be sultans of Sulu all call themselves ‘Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo’ As such we must look at these intruders as invaders to establish military and administrative control over Sabah,” he said.
Dr Jeffrey said the fact that the police were negotiating with them, supposedly to avoid bloodshed, maybe wise, but there was a cry for Malaysia to demonstrate its firmness and assert its sovereignty, and hence should deal with all such intruders decisively.
“The Prime Minister was worried about bloodshed because ‘they have relatives here’ shows that we have already been infiltrated and held at ransom by illegal immigrants who had been made citizens overnight.
Crime doesn’t consider relatives. Even parents are jailed without considering the fate of their children if they have committed a crime.
“Did the police worry about militants that were killed by police in the Baling incident? In Mumbai, militants were met by the army and special forces, killing all but one,” he said.
“Asking them to leave politely will not guarantee they will not return in larger numbers to pursue their objective of invading Sabah. These people must first of all be disarmed and be punished according to the laws of the land,” he said.
DE (16/2/2013)
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