Misuari denies negotiating with Msian execs on Sabah claim

MANILA, Philippines – Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari denied having negotiated with Malaysian officials on the status of Sabah and Sarawak, saying the group is leaving the matter up to the Sultanate of Sulu and Malaysia to peacefully work things out over the disputed territories.

In a statement, Misuari dismissed as “unfounded and without any ounce of truth” some media reports that pointed to the MNLF as having negotiated with Malaysian authorities.

He added that he is “respecting the fervent wish of the late Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Kiram III to let alone the Islamic Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo (SSNB) to negotiate peacefully with the Muslim leaders of Malaysia to settle the controversial issue to avoid repeating the March 2013 standoff in Lahad Datu, Sabah.”

For Misuari, the North Borneo case is a non-issue to the MNLF as it is the home base of different tribal groupings of Muslims from different regions of Southeast Asia “that have enjoyed peaceful and harmonious co-existence with the Chinese and Christian populace.”

“The MNLF can only respect the peaceful status quo desired by the inhabitants of the region,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has invited Misuari, along with other leaders from Mindanao, to participate in the 42nd Council Ministers session in Kuwait on May 27 to 28.

Misuari, according to MNLF spokesman Emmanuel Fontanilla, declined the invitation, citing travel restrictions imposed on him after he led a three-week siege in Zamboanga City in September 2013 that killed scores and displaced more than 200,000 residents.

The Zamboanga City Regional Trial Court has issued a warrant for Misuari’s arrest, which also prevented him from attending the OIC meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last year.

By Perseus Echeminada (The Philippine Star)