Sultan: Sabah is our home

Source: The Philippine Star 

MANILA, Philippines – Followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III of Sulu who are holed up in a remote coastal town in Sabah since last week have vowed not to leave, saying they are reclaiming the area as their ancestral territory.

Kiram on Sunday said his followers – some 400 people including 20 gunmen – were determined to stay despite being cornered by security forces, with the Kuala Lumpur government insisting the group return to the Philippines.

“Why should we leave our own home? In fact (the Malaysians) are paying rent (to us),” Kiram told reporters in Manila.

“Our followers will stay in Lahad Datu. Nobody will be sent to the Philippines. Sabah is our home,” he said.

The sultan did not directly threaten violence but said “there will be no turning back for us.”

Malaysian officials have said that many in the group have weapons, but Kiram insisted his followers made the trip unarmed.

“If they have arms, they were already in Sabah,” the sultan said.

The Islamic sultanate once controlled parts of Borneo, including the site of the standoff, and its heirs have been receiving a nominal yearly compensation package from Malaysia under a long-standing agreement for possession of Sabah.

Kiram said he was prompted to send the group to Sabah after the sultanate was left out of a framework agreement sealed in October between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The sultanate’s spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, later said the sultan’s brother Raja Muda Abimuddin Kiram, who led the group to Sabah, had told him via telephone that the party was preparing to stay.

“The objective is to reside now in that place permanently, considering the sultanate owns Sabah by rights of sovereignty,” he said.

On Thursday Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein put the number of armed men in the group at between 80 and 100.

Idjirani said the group would not instigate violence but would resist if provoked.

“We recognize the capability of Malaysia. We don’t have the arms and capacity but we have the historical truth,” he said, adding that the group’s “fate is to see the recognition they are entitled to… or they die defending their ancestral rights.”

Idjirani said President Aquino’s senior aides had been in contact with the sultan and were willing to deliver a letter to the Malaysian government on his behalf for negotiations.

This was however denied by deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte.

Safety is main concern

At Malacañang yesterday, Valte expressed hopes Kiram would soften his position and agree to leave the territory peacefully with his men.

“At this point, the main concern really is the safety of the people who are there. So that is what we’re talking about and that is our focus,” Valte said.

“What actions are we taking? We can’t really talk about the specifics yet. The matter is very sensitive. The incident is very sensitive and as such, we are withholding comment and deferring to the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) just to apprise the public on any developments that they may deem appropriate,” she said.

The DFA, for its part, said its main concern is to have the armed group leave Lahad Datu peacefully.

“And that is very important to us, that this issue be settled in a peaceful manner. And we appreciate the Malaysian government’s action to resolve this situation immediately in line with the instruction of Prime Minister Mohammad Najib, where he said the government is choosing to handle this issue through negotiation and to get the group leave peacefully to prevent bloodshed,” DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said.

In a statement, Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, said the government’s concern should be “the safety of the Filipinos currently involved in the Sabah incident.”

“(It should be) of highest priority. The Filipinos involved in the incident reportedly have grievances that deserve the government’s attention, but efforts, for now, should be directed at ensuring a peaceful resolution of the situation,” Legarda said.

“The DFA needs to keep the communication lines open and ensure that the rights of all those involved are preserved,” she added. – Aurea Calica, Pia Lee-Brago