Malaysia moved on Monday to beef up security in the eastern state of Sabah, on Borneo island, where at least 26 people have been reported killed after a bizarre invasion by Philippine followers of a self-styled sultan. Sabah issued a statement that the destination is still safe for the tourists to visit.
KUALA LUMPUR- Malaysian police and military trucks are shown in Lahad Datu on Borneo island, on March 3, 2013. Malaysia vowed to beef up security in an area where at least 26 people have been reported killed after being invaded by Filipino troups obeying a self-styled 74-year old sultan, who claims to be the last heir of a long disappeared Sulu Sultanate Southern of the Mindanao province in the Philippines.
The deadly skirmish between Filipinos and the Malaysia military came due to a territory dispute over former British North Borneo (the State which preceded Sabah). For years, the Philippines claimed the sovereignty over much of the eastern part of Sabah in Malaysia as it was only “leased” by the Sultanate of Sulu to the then British North Borneo Company. However the sultanate’s sovereignty has never being relinquished. The lease was done in 1878 but has given way to various interpretations.
The agreement signed between the Sultan of Sulu and the British commercial syndicate (Alfred Dent and Baron von Overback) in 1878 stipulated that North Borneo was either ceded or leased (depending on translation used) to the British company in return for payment of 5,000 dollars per year.
Malaysia estimates that the territorial claim was definitely settled when Sabah joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 after its residents exercised their act of self-determination. UN agencies watched out at the time the referendum and acknowledged it. Every year however, Every year, the Malaysian Embassy in the Philippines issues a check in the amount of 5,300 ringgit (US$ 1,710) to the legal counsel of the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu. Malaysia considers the amount an annual “cession” payment for the disputed state, while the sultan’s descendants consider it as a “rent”.
Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is under pressure over Malaysia’s worst security crisis in years, has authorised a “doubling” of police and armed forces deployed in the tense state of Sabah on Borneo island. “An additional two army battalions have been dispatched to Sabah,” Mr Najib, who has vowed to root out the intruders, was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.
Malaysians have been shocked by the militant incursion, which began when an estimated 100-300 people landed on the shores of Sabah on February 12, claiming the state for the heir to a former Philippine sultanate.
The armed intrusion has embarrassed Malaysian premier Najib – who must call soon elections – by exposing lax border security and fuelling perceptions of lawlessness and huge illegal immigration in Sabah.
A tense stand-off between the intruders and security forces who have them pinned down in the farming village of Tanduo erupted in a bloody firefight Friday that left 12 gunmen and two police officers dead. Another gun battle erupted in Semporna, 300 kilometres (190 miles) away, on Saturday night, dramatically escalating tensions and raising the overall toll of reported dead to at least 18 militants and eight police officers. By Monday morning, it still remained unclear whether the Semporna confrontation was resolved or is ongoing.
Followers of the 74-year-old Manila-based Islamic leader, Jamalul Kiram III, say the gunmen are ready to die to defend his claim to Sabah, once its controlled territory.
The fresh weekend clash in Semporna — and a police claim that they were pursuing yet another group of gunmen in a nearby town — has sparked fears of further infiltration by armed Filipinos along the coast. The Star newspaper has reported that thousands of families fled Semporna in panic.
Sabah has seen previous smaller-scale cross-border raids from Islamic militants and other bandits from the adjacent southern Philippines, which has suffered for decades from a campaign by Muslim insurgents.
Sabah is still safe for tourists despite the latest attacks by insurgents, said Malaysian Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. She said the ministry was monitoring the situation closely. “We will ensure the safety of tourists in the country,” she declared while visiting the island of Penang. Security was consequently beefed up on Sipadan island, which experienced in the past troubles with Islamist militants coming from the Philippines.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun has assured that the intrusion in Lahad Datu has not affected the tourism sector. Masidi said the reason could be because the location where the intruders were in was isolated, and the exit and entry points have been sealed by our security forces.
He added that the intruders have also been quoted as saying that their intention was not to create problems here, but to register their claim on Sabah.
(SOURCES from AFP and Sabah Ministry of Tourism Portal)
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
