Sultan wants foreign, local media in Sabah

MANILA, Philippines - The Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo on Friday demanded that Malaysia allow foreign and local journalists to enter the conflict affected areas of Sabah to verify Kuala Lumpur's claim that 32 members of the Royal Sulu Army have been shot dead by Malaysian security forces on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Dapat papasukin na ang foreign and local media sa mga conflict affected areas to verify their claims. Until that is done, everything is subject to debate,” said Abraham Idjirani, spokesman of the sultanate.

Idjirani added that unless verified by local and international media, the number of casualties inflicted by Malaysian security forces on the Sulu Royal Army is just propaganda by the Malaysian government.

Malaysian Federal Police chief Ismil Omar also said at least 52 members of the Sulu Royal Army have so far been killed in engagements with Malaysian security forces.  Omar added that one of those killed in the recent encounters was a man believed to be holding the rank of a general in the Royal Sulu Army.

The Sultanate of Sulu maintains that so far, only 10 of its forces in Sabah have been killed. The Sultanate’s army in Sabah is under the command of Raja Muda (Crown Prince) Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

On Thursday, Jamalul declared a “cessation of hostilities” hours after the Malaysian government rejected the unilateral ceasefire the former had earlier declared.

Idjirani said that with the declaration of a cessation of hostilities, the Sultanate is now appealing to Malaysia to stop the bombardment of the Royal Sulu Forces so that the two parties could sit down and dialog as encouraged by the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Idjirani is also calling on the United Nations to send in peacekeepers in Sabah following the Sultanate’s unilateral declaration of cessation of hostilities.

Should Malaysian security forces continue with its attacks on the positions of the Royal Sulu Army and should there be resulting casualties, Idjirani said the Sultanate is leaving it to the United Nations to judge.