Sabah intrusion: Four more Filipinos charged

SEMPORNA: Four more Filipinos were charged in the Semporna and Lahad Datu Magistrate’s courts Thursday with waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and being members of a terrorist organisation.

In Semporna, at a makeshift Magistrate’s Court at the Semporna police headquarters, three Filipinos were charged with committing the two offences.



For the first, they were charged under Section 121 of the Penal Code which carries the death sentence and under Section 130KA of the same code for the second, which is punishable to a life sentence, if convicted.

No plea were recorded from the accused, Al Wazir Osman @ Abdul, Tani Lahad Dahi and Abd Hadi Mawan after the charges were read out to them before Sessions Court judge Amelati Parnel, who acted as the Magistrate.

Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Hamdan Hamzah appeared for the prosecution.

Similarly, at the Lahad Datu police headquarters where a Magistrate’s court was set up, another Filipino was charged with the same two offences.

However, no plea was recorded from Julham Rashid, 65, after the charges were read out to him before Lahad Datu Sessions Court judge Rajalingam a/l SS Maniam, who acted as the Magistrate.

The prosecution was represented by DPP Shukor Abu Bakar.

The charges were read out in the Suluk language in both courts.

Both courts allowed the prosecution’s application to have the cases transferred to the Tawau High Court but no mention dates were fixed.

Under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), all cases involving security must be heard by the High Court.

Since the Ops Daulat offensive was launched by the security forces to flush out terrorists from the southern Philippines who intruded into eastern Sabah in mid-February, 19 Filipinos and a local have been charged in Magistrate’s courts in Sabah over the incursion.

Fifteen Filipinos and a police corporal have been charged with various offences with eight of them facing the death or life sentence for waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and being members of a terrorist organisation, if convicted.

Seven others were charged with various other offences, including being members of a terrorist organisation, harbouring terrorists and recruiting members to be terrorists.

The policeman was charged with feeding information to the terrorists.

The cases involving the 15 Filipinos and the policemen are scheduled to be mentioned at the Tawau High Court Friday.