The escalating conflict prompted no less than United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to call upon the government of Malaysia headed by Prime Minister Najib Razak for a peaceful resolution of the Sabah conflict. Over the weekend, Ban met with Malaysia’s ambassador to the UN to reiterate his call to ensure respect for human rights and avoid further loss of life.
Jumping on this chance to spare his followers from further harm, Sultan Kiram declared a unilateral ceasefire. From his home in Taguig, the ailing 74-year-old Sultan called upon his armed followers to take a defensive stance in Lahad Datu. The Malaysian government, however, refused to reciprocate this unilateral ceasefire call of the Sultan. Instead, Malaysia vowed “to destroy” the intruders if they refuse “surrender” or leave Sabah.
Unfortunately, caught in this crossfire are the thousands of Filipinos living in Sabah who are being rounded up by Malaysian authorities as suspected “conspirators” of these “intruders.” Basically a police state, Malaysia can arrest anyone based on mere suspicion on the strength of their Internal Security Act. A humanitarian crisis is now developing in Sulu with the influx of Sabah evacuees.
On instructions of President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario flew to Kuala Lumpur last week to talk with his Malaysian counterpart, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman to come up with measures to spare the innocent Filipinos in Sabah from this ongoing police/military crackdown near and around the disputed areas.
Anifah was quoted telling Malaysia’s TV3 Wednesday night about his talks with Del Rosario. Both of them were supposedly puzzled by Kiram’s staking claim over Sabah at this time when Malaysia and the Philippines are preparing for elections. “We (he and Del Rosario) are questioning why this incident is happening now,” Anifah said.
Anifah cited news from Reuters quoting a military official in the Philippines as saying that an un-named Malaysian opposition figure had “invited” the Sultan’s heirs to Sabah to discuss “land issues.” He said these reports about certain groups with vested interest could have orchestrated the incursion in Sabah appear to have basis.
“Maybe there are certain parties that do not want Malaysia or the leadership of the Malaysian government to be recognized,” the Malaysian official theorized. “It is not impossible that there are people who are spiteful of the Barisan Nasional leadership led by our prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, which has excelled and gained recognition internationally,” Anifah added.
Anifah is a loyal party member of Prime Minister Najib in the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). He accompanied the Prime Minister during the latter’s state visit in Manila on October 14 to 15 upon the invitation of President Aquino. At rites held at Malacañang Palace, the top Malaysian officials led by Najib witnessed the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
P-Noy acknowledged Prime Minister Najib for seeing through the Malaysian-brokered Framework Agreement to its logical conclusion. The Philippine government and the MILF peace panels are still working out and finalizing details of the agreement in Kuala Lumpur.
But in Malaysia, Prime Minister Najib has his own political troubles and has in fact, come under fire for his alleged “weak leadership.” This criticism was recently aired by former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mahathir. There had been speculations in Malaysia that their Parliament might be dissolved to pave the way for a general election by the end of this month, or early April.
This is more than five years after their last general election on March 8, 2008. In that election, Najib’s Barisan Nasional lost its long held two-thirds majority in parliament to the opposition led by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir’s political arch enemy.
Like Prime Minister Najib, President Aquino has also been deeply involved in the campaign for his Team P-Noy senatorial candidates in the coming May 13 national and local elections in the Philippines. Unlike his Malaysian counterpart, opinion surveys show P-Noy’s popularity rating remains high. Despite showing he could be tough, P-Noy is not spared of the same criticisms here of being a “weak” leader.
Heard on DzRH radio interview over the weekend, Team P-Noy official spokesman Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo justified President Aquino’s active participation in the campaign of his administration-backed senatorial ticket. This is because, Quimbo claimed, President Aquino is staking his political stock in the midterm elections as a “referendum” of his three-year old administration.
Thus, the ensuing standoff in Sabah with Sultan Kiram’s followers only compounded the woes of both Prime Minister Najib and President Aquino. So it should not be surprising why Prime Minister Najib finds the shoulders of P-Noy to lean on.
During their meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian foreign minister suggested to Del Rosario to conduct an investigation into the alleged Philippine-based conspiracy with Malaysian opposition leaders to stir the Sabah crisis.
Back here in Manila, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) subpoenaed last Friday an adviser of Sultan Kiram for questioning as the Philippine government pursued its own suspicions of a “conspiracy” in the ongoing crisis in Sabah. Pastor “Boy” Saycon, a self-styled political strategist and secretary-general of the Council for Philippine Affairs (COPA), was the first to be subpoenaed. He admitted acting as an adviser to Kiram to bring the Sultanate’s Sabah claim before the UN.
President Aquino had earlier confirmed reports by The Star that the government was looking into a conspiracy behind the Sabah crisis, involving personalities identified with the previous administration. He did not name names, for now.
While looking for the usual suspects behind these Sabah conspiracies here and there, it would do well for all of us not to lose sight of our rightful claims for the greater interest of the Filipino nation.
By Marichu A. Villanueva (The Philippine Star)
GO BACK TO THE FUTURE- 1960S
ReplyDeleteIn the 1960s there was one main conspiracy for the Borneo colonies.
This was the British Malayan conspiracy to annex Brunei North Borneo and Sarawak into a neo-colonial creation called "Malaysia".
The last 2 British colonial governors actually opposed this plan which they say was an idea too soon for the Borneo people which were unprepared and did not even had time to experience real independence.
Of course Sarawak was actually an independent State for 116 year before the Malayan Federation was set up in 1957. A democratic system was to be put in place when the Japanese invaded in late 1941 and then the British took over in 1946 which gave way to Malayan invasion and takeover in 1963. 70 years of foreign occupation since 1941.
Sabah was traded like a piece of commercial property by the Western colonial powers and now is again the subject of horse bartering by UMNO and the Philippine proxy Sulu claimants.
The destinies of Sabah Sarawak will remain in foreign hands until they can win freedom and establish their own independent states.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib believes Agbimuddin Kiram, who led a group of armed Sulu gunmen into Lahad Datu on Feb 12, is still alive and hiding in Kampung Tanjung Batu, some 130km from Lahad Datu town.
ReplyDelete“The Malaysian security forces believe he (Agbimuddin) is still here and with his group because as a leader he must not run.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete“He will not run and leave his people by themselves here. He must lead them,” said Hamza during a media briefing together with Army First Infantry Division chief Maj-Gen Datuk Ahmad Zaki Mokhtar at the Felda Sahabat 16 yesterday.
ReplyDeleteHamza said his belief that Agbimuddin never left the area was also based on the tight security at the red zone of the ‘Ops Daulat’ area, including sea route.
Two new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes will be set up in Kudat and Lahad Datu along with an immigration post in Banggi island within a month.
ReplyDeleteTo encourage proper entry, discussions would be held with the Philippines side to allow the use of border passes.
ReplyDeleteIt is all part of the Immigration Department's plan under the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) to facilitate proper entry of foreigners.
Immigration Director-General Dato' Alias Haji Ahmad said he proposed the setting up of the new CIQ in Lahad Datu given its status as a "hot area" and that the new facility should be at Felda Sahabat.
ReplyDeleteTo date, there are three CIQs in Sabah - in Semporna, Sandakan and Tawau. Alias said based on 2010 statistics, out of a population of 3.2 million in Sabah, 58 per cent or 1.8 million resided in East Coast areas which is within the Esscom corridor.
ReplyDelete"Eighty per cent of the legal immigrants who hold PR, IMM13 and so on, are residing in the Esscom corridor," he said at the Immigration Department's monthly assembly and excellence service awards at the Federal Administrative Complex.
ReplyDelete"I suspect that 35 per cent of these foreigners (along Esscom corridor) are Filipinos," he said. Alias is confident the new CIQ complexes and the post would be set up within one month with temporary cabins in Kudat and Banggi.
ReplyDelete"In Lahad Datu, we will either refurbish or renovate the present warehouse next to the Immigration Office or use a cabin. "The cost of setting up of the facilities is less than RM1 million including the special allocation for Esscom, he said.
Alias said as a civilian department under the Esscom, the Immigration Department had planned several new strategies to be implemented in the Esscom area namely to provide facility and border control.
ReplyDelete"These two tasks are our plans for Esscom.
"To safeguard our country, we must facilitate foreigners who come with proper documents, we are not preventing people from coming, we are a democratic country, and our tourism industry is a part of the nation's contribution to the nation.
ReplyDelete"So apart from our duty to facilitate the foreigners, we at the same time are to safeguard our border apart from monitoring the entry and exit points.
"We will create an official gateway to enable entry because previously we found out that many foreigners entered our country through illegal gateway such as 'lubang tikus' as we had no facility.
ReplyDelete"So now we encourage proper entry with proper documents whether by passport or border pass."
Alias also said that they will have discussions with the Philippines government so that their people could use border passes.
ReplyDelete"We will decide later as to how far border pass holders can enter with this document, " he said.
Alias said apart from that, three new immigration posts would also be set up at identified locations including at Banggi island, which will be set up at Sarakit while the other two will be at Beluran and Sukau.
ReplyDeleteAlias further announced that they had suggested to the government to set up three new immigration offices at Cenderawasih, Lahad Datu, Kunak and Kota Kinabatangan to process passports, work passes, visas or passes for foreigners as well as for enforcement.
ReplyDeleteHe also said that they would post immigration enforcement personnel at the Esscom corridor on a larger scale within one month.
Sabah Immigration Department Director Datuk Haji Mohammad Mentek said that hard work and commitment by all officers helped increase the department's revenue in 2012, namely RM202,131,600.21, an increase of 14.04 per cent compared to 2011 when it earned RM177,244,679.26.
ReplyDelete"A total of 15,595 people were screened, 6,117 people were arrested and 37 employers were detained, 14 of whom have been charged in court.
ReplyDelete"With the additional operations, it has contributed to the collection of fines and penalties totaling RM3,348,023, he said.