ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 14, 2013) – The heir of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo has put the blame on the group of Sultan Jamalul Kiram for the outbreak of violence in Sabah which affected thousands of Filipinos in the oil-rich state and put bilateral relations between the Philippines and Malaysia at risk.
Several thousands have already fled Sabah, just several hours by boat from the Filipino province of Tawi-Tawi due to the fighting between Malaysian security forces and about 200 followers of Sultan Jamalul that left at least 70 people dead from both sides since early this month.
Sultan Jamalul has sent his younger brother Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram to the town of Lahad Datu in Sabah to exert determination and historical ownership of the island, then called North Borneo, but Malaysia is also claiming Sabah is theirs and the standoff resulted in deadly clashes.
And for the second time this month, Sultan Sharif Ibrahim Ajibul Mohammad Pulalun, heir to the throne of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo, shave appealed to both Malaysia and the Philippines to peacefully resolve the issue.
“Hinihingi ko sa Malaysian government na huwag idamay ang mga sibilyan at kawawa naman ang mga ito na nagne-negosyo at nagta-trabaho doon sa Sabah. Kaya nananawagan ako sa ngayon sa Prime Minister ng Malaysia na (si Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul) ayusin nila ang mga sibilyan at huwag nilang sasaktan at huwag nilang tatawaging mga terrorista dahil kami ang tunay na may-ari ng Sabah, ang Sultanate of Sulu,” the secluded Sultan Shariff Pulalun said in a rare news conference in Zamboanga City.
He blamed Sultan Jamalul for the break out of violence in Sabah that forced thousands of Filipinos to flee their homes and seek refuge to the southern Philippines to avoid getting killed in the cross-fire or risk being arrested by Malaysia under a strict security law.
“Si Jamalul naman, sana ay marami naman paraan at madaraan sa mabuting usapan ito. Dapat inilapit niya sa Mahal natin President (Benigno) Aquino at humingi siya ng tulong upang kausapin ang Malaysian government sa magandang paraan.”
“Hindi maganda ang ginawa niya kasi (isa lamang) siyang Administrator ng Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo. Bakit niya ginawa iyan? Hindi siya humingi ng pahintulot sa totoong Sultan at wala siyang karapatan na tawaging sultan ang kanyang sarili dahil ang totoong sultan ay si Sharif Ibrahim Ajibul Mohammad Pulalun. Sa amin ang mga lupain diyan sa Sabah at hindi yan pagmamay-ari ni Jamalul Kiram dahil administrator lamang siya,” Sultan Shariff Ibrahim said.
He also called on the leaders of Sabah and Malaysia not to harm Filipinos on the island amid reports of human rights abuses and mass arrests by security forces of suspected supporters or sympathizers of the Sultanate of Sulu.
“Kaya nanawagan ako sa buong Sabah at sa buong bansa na tulungan natin ang mga kaawa-awang mga sibilyan natin doon. Nanawagan akong muli sa Malaysia na huwag nilang sasaktan o patayin ang mga sibilyan at sa halip ay dapat nilang tulungan pa,” Sultan Sharif Ibrahim, whose great, great grandfather was Sultan Mohd Pulalun that ruled the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo in 1844.
Malaysian forces continued to push their assaults in several towns in Sabah in an effort to flush the rag-tag army of Sultan Jamalul, who were armed only with machetes and knives and rifles. Police commandos, armed with long-range Barrett sniper rifles, have recently killed several followers of Sultan Jamalul, including a woman armed only with a knife, photos of the Royal Malaysia Police that were posted on Facebook.
Malaysia has illegally annexed Sabah, but it still continues to pay so-called “cession money” every year to Sultan Fuad Kiram in the amount of P70,000. (Mindanao Examiner)
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