The existence of about 150 villagers from Southern
Philippines together with some 30-odd armed escorts is actually more a nuisance but it could however spiral into an 'ugly' situation with the possibility of creating unnecessary tension between Malaysia and the Philippines.
An ugly incident in Lahad Datu would turn Malaysia, Sabah in particular, into a high risk area.
Some desperate politicians on our side and their lackeys in the Philippines may be longing for a bloodbath in Lahad Datu as such an incident would most certainly serve their own political agenda.
Maybe there are desperados on both sides of the border who are working hard to derail the Kuala Lumpur-brokered arrangement towards a Peace Accord between the Philippines Government and the MILF.
Anwar and his close buddy Estrada might know why those 'desperados' are keen to shoot the intended peace deal down.
Those villagers, the frail old man who claims to be a crown
prince included, and their security guards are not members of any recognised Sultanate.
There is no Sultanate in the REPUBLIC of Philippines, let alone an 'army of the Sultanate'.
The heirs (of the initial heirs of the last Sultan of Sulu),
who have being receiving an annual cession token from the Government of
Malaysia, are not among those holed up in that remote village in Lahad Datu.
The guy who claims to be the crown prince, from a makeshift hut in Kampung Tanduo is also not recognized as the
heir of the late Sultan Jamalul Kiram whose Sultanate was officially abolished by
the Government of Philippines in 1939.
The guy who thinks he is the crown prince of the
non-existent Sultanate might carry the the name Kiram but the Regional Trial
Court of Sulu – 9th Judicial Region of Jolo (in a judgement dated
25th of May 2011) doesn’t recognize him or the ‘Sultan’ as heirs to
any Sultanate.
To reiterate – there is no such region or island or group of
islands that is termed as the Sulu Sultanate under the Philippines’
constitution.
Philippines is a republic and normally republics don’t
have/recognise Sultanates.
Some interesting points to ponder below:
… International Court of Justice in 2003 nevertheless
observes that, undisputedly, the Sultan of Sulu relinquished the sovereign
rights over all his possessions in favour of Spain, based on Bases of Peace and
Capitulation signed by Sultan of Sulu and Spain in Jolo on the 22 July
1878.[31] [32]
Recent pretenders
Although the Sultanate is no longer officially recognized by
any state as a sovereign entity, many individuals continue to claim the title
of Sultan of Sulu and/or Sultan of North Borneo, often with
documentation that would seem to support their claims.[45]
Muedzul
Lail Tan Kiram, another claimant, has insisted on the legitimacy of his
succession as the 35th Sultan of Sulu. He cites Memorandum Order 427 of 1974,
in which former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos’
recognized his father, Sultan Mahakuttah A. Kiram, as Sulu ruler.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sultans_of_Sulu
Claims over Sabah
Nevertheless, Malaysia considered this dispute
as a "non-issue", as there is no desire from the actual people of
Sabah to be part of the Philippines or of the Sultanate of Sulu.[41][42] As reported by the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, the independence of North Borneo was brought about as the
result of the expressed wish of the majority of the people of the territory in
a 1963 election.
Today, there are at least a dozen pretenders to the throne,
some of whom are fakes. Most of the contenders claim descent from Jamal
ul Azam, who leased Sabah to Baron von Overbeck.
In 1939, a civil suit was filed by propriety claimants
(Dayang Dayang Hadji Piandao and eight other heirs) of the "cession
money" payable to the heir of Sultan of Sulu, following the death of
Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram II in June 1936, childless. Chief Justice C. F.
C. Macaskie of the High Court of North Borneo made a ruling on the shares
entitled by each claimants.[24]
A classic 'twist' of the 1939 High Court ruling...
MAKASKIE DECISION
Philippines believe in the rule of
Force. Marcos tried the Jabidah route. Then he tried an all-out war against the
Moros. President Joseph Estrada tried an all-out war against the MILF.
But Malaysia believes in the rule of law. It is much easier to negotiate with
Malaysians.
The last line is indeed flattering but I don't think the Malaysian Government would fall for such sweet talk. The Malaysian Government should not negotiate its sovereignty with a bunch of intruders who don't know who they are.
All those who think they are the rightful owner of Sabah or Sulu, or both should consider a round table conference to determine who among them owns what. After that they should decide on the tittle they want to carry before making a representation to their government.
After all the Philippines' just passed a law to compensate human rights victims of former president Ferdinand Marcos. They say Marcos was a dictator.
Those intruders in Lahad Datu should be thankful that Malaysia is a strong advocate of peace and staunch believer in peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Our utmost patience and diplomacy in handling the Lahad Datu intrusion is testimony that Kuala Lumpur practices what we preach.
We could have wiped out the entire 180-odd intruders in a matter of minutes but what happens after we shoot and kill them on our soil?
Level headed Malaysians are praying for a peaceful resolution to the 'situation' in Lahad Datu while thousands of security personnel are on full alert to face any eventuality in protecting Malaysian sovereignty.
Malaysian officers and officials are working round the clock to prevent any bloodshed in Lahad Datu and any further bloodshed in our region.
We, Malaysians, are now putting the final touches to yet another peace deal. We want peace!
p/s All the 180 Sulu villagers/intruders, plus the boatmen who ferried them, would have ended up being transported back in body bags had they landed on Tekong Island.
