Misuari deported next month

Malaysia is expected to send rebel leader Nur Misuari back to the Philippines early next month, officials from both countries said yesterday.

Manila says it wants the mutinous former governor of a semi-autonomous region returned, but appeared in no hurry to take him back since he fled to Malaysia after an ill-fated revolt last month during which as many as 200 people were killed.

"We will fetch him here, most likely some time in the first two weeks of January. There is no problem with the Malaysian government," National Security Adviser Roilo Golez told Reuters.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, in Manila on a visit along with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, agreed.

"With respect to the current situation of Professor Misuari...he is a citizen of the Philippines, subject to Philippine law and in accordance with our understanding, he will be deported accordingly," Syed Hamid told reporters after a meeting with Wirajuda and Philippine Vice President and Foreign Secretary Teofisto Guingona.

The Malaysian and Indonesian ministers represent two of the eight Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) nations which helped mediate a peace deal between the Roman Catholic Philippines and Misuari’s Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1996.

Misuari was named governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a Muslim-dominated region in the south of the Philippines, after the deal but reneged when the government insisted on holding elections to the post in November and backed a rival candidate.

The rival, Parouk Hussin, was declared elected as the new governor this month.

Misuari, along with six supporters of the MNLF, was caught sneaking into the east Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo late last month, days after the uprising which Manila said was aimed at disrupting the ARMM polls.

He was detained for illegal entry in Malaysia but has been charged with rebellion in the Philippines.

There had been speculation Misuari could be delivered to a third country, such as Libya, if Manila sought to avoid any security risks posed by his repatriation, but Golez described that as newspaper talk.

"Deportation to Libya is not being discussed. That was just twisted by reporters...," Golez said.

Malaysian officials were similarly dismissive.

"There have been no new developments, whatever talk you’re hearing is still talk," said one.

The Malaysian daily New Straits Times on Thursday quoted Syed Hamid saying any attempt to secure asylum in a third country was a matter for the Philippines to handle, not Malaysia.

"We will stick to our diplomatic decisions with the Philippines and hand him over when everything is in place," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying.

A lawyer, Elly Pamatong, has petitioned Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to grant Misuari temporary asylum until a third country can be found to take him.

On Thursday, Pamatong sent a letter to Washington’s envoy to Kuala Lumpur asking for help finding a sanctuary for Misuari in a "freedom-loving country like the United States". – Pia Lee-Brago