for Malaysia
by Allan CF Goh
“Theirs is not to question why,
Theirs is but to do and die.”
No more will they see the sky,
Return to earth, they will lie.
They sustain our tomorrow,
When sadly killed in action.
They are our fallen heroes,
Felled, fighting for the nation. Continue reading “Our Fallen Heroes”
I regret that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in his hour-long programme of “Conversation with the PM” televised on TV3, Bernama TV, RTM and Astro Awani last night failed to address adequately and fully the Sabah Sulu crisis which has entered into its fifth week, causing the death of eight policemen and one soldier and 56 Sulu terrorists.
I want firstly to convey my deepest condolences to Private Mohd Hurairah Ismail from Pasir Mas, Kelantan , the first soldier to be killed by Sulu terrorists in an exchange of fire in Sungai Nyamuk in Lahad Datu yesterday.
Mohd Hurairah, like the eight police commandoes who were killed by Sulu terrorists in Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu and Semporna, died as a national hero in the defence of national sovereignty and the security of the people of Sabah and the nation owes them an eternal gratitude.
This is why I feel very strongly that there should be a special session of Parliament not only for MPs from both sides of the political divide to express full support and solidarity for all necessary measures by the security forces to deal with the Sabah Sulu crisis but also to pay tribute and honour the nine brave fallen heroes from the security forces and to assure the nation that the government, from whichever political coalition, Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, will look after the welfare, as well the life-long education needs of the children, of the bereaved families as an token of national appreciation of their sacrifices.
This is one reason why I am very disappointed about the Prime Minister’s hour-long television interview last night, especially as I had sent an Open Letter to him yesterday urging the Cabinet today to convene a special Parliamentary session within the week, to adopt an unanimous resolution on the Sabah Sulu crisis on at least six points, viz: Continue reading “Call on all parties and persons involved to unite as patriotic Malaysians to face the Sabah Sulu crisis as one united people to fully restore national sovereignty and security and welfare of Sabahans”
Melia Dangin
Malaysiakini
Mar 12, 2013
In the early 1990s, a small group of Filipino men heavily armed with M16s guns and grenade launchers appeared suddenly in Semporna town.
Their target? None other than the small Semporna police station, the nearby equally small marine base and the police barracks.
These marauders operated with military precision. How else do you explain their capability in trapping our security personnel in their own base?
They had positioned themselves strategically and rendered our men immobile.
They took control of Semporna for about 20 minutes from the time they cornered the police and moved to the town centre less than 800 metres away firing randomly into the air.
Fortunately, there were no casualties and a family of three who were taken hostage at a nearby kampung were unharmed. The marauders managed to escape the police cordon shortly before midnight that same day. Continue reading “We must learn from the lessons of Lahad Datu”
Stan CH Lee
Malaysiakini
Mar 9, 2013
First off, I wish to put on record my heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families of the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country. I do not for one moment doubt your courage and commitment to the defence of our country. Malaysians of all backgrounds owe you a debt that can never be repaid.
Defence of the country’s sovereignty is the duty of all Malaysians who love the country. National defence is not something that most people wear on their sleeves. However, this duty extends beyond the physical defence of the country, which is the job of the armed forces.
It should and must include speaking up when things are not right. This is something that we as a people have not done for so many years, having left that to our elected representatives in parliament.
However, the Lahad Datu Invasion weighs heavy on my mind, as it does that of many, many concerned Malaysians. This is not to denigrate nor trivialise the sacrifices made by our armed forces. The dangers are real. Bombs and bullets do fly. Continue reading “Speaking up on Lahad Datu is patriotism”
Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | March 12, 2013
Free Malaysia Today
The bigger fear among Umno leaders is that any drastic military action would have destroyed the reservoir of potential voters among the Filipinos with Malaysian Identity Cards.
COMMENT
Umno Baru godfather Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government misread the situation in Lahad Datu.
He said: “At first we did not think the intrusion was as an external threat for they [Sulu gunmen] were on our shore. But now that it is clear that the invasion is an attack from outside, the military was ordered to move in.”
Since this was an invasion by a group of foreign nationals threatening the safety of our country and citizens, the army should have stepped in from the very begining.
Why was the Malaysian government dilatory in dealing with the Sulu invaders?
Mahathir claims the government “acted cautiously” because the intruders were Muslims.
But the likelihood is greater that the bigger fear among Umno leaders was that drastic military action would have destroyed the reservoir of potential voters among the Filipinos with Malaysian Identity Cards, beneficiaries of Mahathir’s “Project IC” in Sabah.
To unleash our military might would be to destroy a fixed deposit that has kept Umno-Barisan Nasional in power here for decades. Continue reading “Probe Umno links to Sulus”
Thirty days after the invasion of the east coast of Sabah by a ragtag group of armed militants and terrorists, resulting in the death of eight police personnel in Lahad Datu and Semporna some three weeks later accompanied by the most gruesome, barbaric and savage mutilation of some of the police personnel who were still alive, including finger-chopping, eye-ripping and beheading, the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa, who is also the chairman of the Sabah Security Committee, suddenly realized that the ragtag group of Sulu killers were not “intruders” but “terrorists”!
From yesterday, the media were directed by Musa to stop using the term “intruder” and to use “terrorist” instead.
But what is very strange is that it is not just the media who are guilty of the misnomer, all the top guns in government from political to security leadership, from the three Ministers who drop in and out of Sabah during the duration of the crisis, namely Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi and Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, to the security chiefs including the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar and the Armed Forces Chief Gen Zulkifeli Mohd Zin were all guilty for more than four weeks in using the misnomer.
Even the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak when he finally visited Lahad Datuk on March 7, some 26 days after the first landing of Sulu terrorists on Feb. 9, also continued to talk about “intruders” instead of “terrorists” – betraying a serious problem of mindset of those responsible for managing the Sabah Sulu crisis.
There will be many unforgettable photographs preserving for posterity some the bloody and gruesome vignettes from the hitherto 30-day Sabah Sulu crisis. Among these unforgettable pics will be one showing the Home Minister in his first visit to Lahad Datuk on Feb. 18, peering at Kampong Tanduo through his powerful binoculars to survey the armed Sulu group and declaring that although the group was armed, they were “neither militants nor terrorists”. Continue reading “If security forces given free hand to deal with Sulu gunmen as militants instead of as “intruders, neither militants nor terrorists”, Sabah Sulu crisis would have ended faster and without loss of lives of eight police personnel”
I am today issuing this Open Letter to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak:
“YAB Datuk Seri Najib Razak,
Prime Minister,
Malaysia.
YAB Datuk Seri,
Cabinet decision tomorrow to convene special Parliamentary session within a week on Sabah Sulu crisis to condemn cruel, inhuman and barbaric killing of Malaysian policemen by Sulu terrorists and call to Philippines Government to officially drop all claims to Sabah
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I am still reeling from shock, horror and revulsion from the Chinese media reports yesterday about the cruel, inhuman and barbaric killings of Malaysian policemen by Sulu terrorists in the water village, Kampung Simunul in Semporna on March 2 as revealed by the Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Ipoh on Sunday – sadistic and savage atrocities like cutting off of fingers, ripping of eyes and beheading when our fallen heroes in Semporna were still alive.
To my knowledge, this is the first time there is official confirmation of such unspeakable atrocities committed by the Sulu terrorists against members of our security forces in Semporna although there had been rumours and later confirmation of uncivilized mutilation and beheading of corpses .
I am addressing this Open Letter to you to urge the Cabinet tomorrow to take an decision of great national importance – to convene a special session of Parliament as the eight fallen national heroes from the police forces in Lahad Datu and Semporna, as well as all the security forces personnel who had suffered injury in the Sabah Sulu crisis, deserve no less than a fulsome tribute and recognition from all Ministers and Parliamentarians, regardless of political party, race, religion or region, in a special Parliamentary session.
On 12th January last year, a special Parliamentary session was convened where all MPs condemned in unison the Israeli atrocities on Palestinians in the Gaza.
YAB Prime Minister’s Cabinet and the 12th Parliament will be seriously remiss in their duties if they are not equally prepared to convene a special Parliamentary session to condemn the atrocities on the Malaysian security forces by Sulu terrorists in Lahad Datu and Semporna. Continue reading “30-Day Countdown to 13GE – Open Letter to Najib proposing Cabinet decision tomorrow to convene special Parliamentary session within a week on Sabah Sulu crisis”
– Dr. Chen Man Hin
Life advisor DAP
11th March 2013
The Sulu loyalists to the self appointed Sultan of Sulu, Jamala Kirim III invaded Sabah on the 12th February 2013, the second day of the Lunar New Year.
Soon after Lim Kit Siang MP visited Sabah and travelled to Tawau, Lahad Datu and Felda Sahabat. Despite the hue and cry and the dangers of an invading force, Lim Kit Siang was in Lahad Datu and Felda Sahabat to assess the situation. Incidentally, Kit Siang was in Sabah from the 20th February, while PM Najib went to Sabah on the 2nd of March.
I too was in Sabah for three days last week, against the advice of well meaning supporters.
We went to Lahad Datu out of a sense of duty and loyalty to our country. Armed foreign invaders have landed on the coasts of Sabah. Our country was in danger. Every loyal citizen must help, especially political leaders. Continue reading “PR leaders are second to none in being patriotic and loyal to Malaysia”
Malaysians are shocked, disgusted and outraged by the cruel, inhuman and barbaric killing of Malaysian policemen by Sulu gunmen in Semporna as revealed by the Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Ipoh yesterday – sadistic acts like the mutilation of bodies with the ripping of eyes, decapitating heads and cutting up bodies.
Most shocking of all was Zahid’s revelation that some of the fallen heroes in Semporna had their fingers cut off when still alive.
These are completely unacceptable conduct even in war-time and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms by all Malaysians as well as the international community although Zahid said it was possible that the killers were under the influence of drugs or were using black magic as a reason for their brutality.
The eight policemen killed in the shoot-outs with Sulu gunmen in Lahad Datu and Semporna are national heroes who had given their lives in the defence of national sovereignty and security of the people of Sabah, and they deserve to be remembered as national heroes with the nation bearing full responsibility for the welfare of their surviving family and children, including life-long education to university level for all the children of the fallen heroes.
Zahid’s shocking revelations of the cruel, bestial and uncivilized killing of the policemen in Semporna by Sulu gunmen reinforces the urgency and need to call a special meeting of Parliament which should pass an unanimous resolution by all MPs, regardless of political party, race or religion at least on five subjects, viz: Continue reading “31-Day Countdown to 13GE –Special meeting of Parliament more urgent to condemn cruel, inhuman and barbaric killing of Malaysian policemen by Sulu gunmen and unanimous call to Philippines Government to officially drop all claims to Sabah”
My attention has been drawn to today’s Sunday Star report “MCA defends RM2,000 aid to families of slain cops”, which is a total distortion of my tribute to the eight policemen who died as national heroes in Lahad Datu and Semporna in the shoot-outs with Sulu gunmen.
Star quoted the MCA national organising secretary Datuk Tee Siew Kong accusing me of “a ploy to politicise the fatalities” and that I was “out to discredit the services and responsibilities of the uniformed personnel killed while protecting our nation”.
This is utter nonsense.
I stand by my unqualified tribute to the eight police commandos for their highest act of patriotic duty in giving their lives in the defence of national sovereignty and security of the people.
I also stand by my conviction that these eight police commandoes should not have died if the security forces had been given a free hand to professionally handle the Sabah Sulu crisis, but I do not want at this stage to get into an argument about the role of irresponsible politicians whether for their treason in creating grave security problems in Sabah or for their inept leadership which posed grave threat to life and limb of security forces personnel. Continue reading “Star and MCA’s total distortion of my tribute to the eight policemen who died as national heroes in Lahad Datu and Semporna in shoot-outs with Sulu gunmen”
By David Boey
AsiaOne
Thursday, Mar 07, 2013
The writer, a former defence correspondent for the Straits Times, maintains Senang Diri , a blog about Singapore defence matters ( http://kementah.blogspot.sg/).
SINGAPORE – A week ago, Malaysia’s defence information officers were busy ramping up publicity for the Malaysian Army’s 80th Anniversary celebrations – a happy occasion that culminated in a massive show of force by Tentera Darat Malaysia (Malaysian Army) in Port Dickson.
After a weekend on duty, their pace of work increased dramatically with real operations in the East Malaysian state of Sabah. Ongoing operations by Malaysian security forces against Filipino gunmen in Lahad Datu, Sabah, mean that it will be sometime yet before information officers from Cawangan Perhubungan Awam (Public Relations Department) at Kementerian Pertahanan (Kementah, the Malaysian Ministry of Defence) can enjoy a restful weekend.
The exposure to real operations in Sabah will reward Kementah’s information officers with firsthand experience managing hearts and minds operations during an unfolding operation that has international dimensions.
Add in the timing of the operation, which was triggered during the run-up to the Malaysian General Elections, and the information officers entrusted to handle media operations will get a chance to learn invaluable lessons in calibrating domestic political considerations during an unfolding operation other than war (OOTW).
While it is early days yet before defence observers can compile a credible blow by blow account of the assault, here are some preliminary thoughts on the situation: Continue reading “M’sian Armed Forces versus Sulu gunmen in Sabah: Lessons for S’pore”
The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s stand of unconditional surrender for the Sulu militants deserves the support of all Malaysians.
There is neither basis nor merit in the call for ceasefire or the unilateral ceasefire by the Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, after eight police commandoes had been slain and some of their corpses treated in the most harrowing and bestial manner after they had fallen as national heroes in the cause of national duty to protect national sovereignty and the security of the state and people.
All Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or political affiliation, are united as one in giving full endorsement to all necessary measures by the government and the security forces to end the month-long battle against Sulu militants.
All Malaysians support the online petition by the group identified as “Concerned Citizens of Sabah” that Sabahans want to “remain Malaysians”.
DAP fully endorses the sentiments in the online petition that while Sabah has a “shared history” with its neighbours, “the people of Sabah are not politically beholden to these historical ties”. Continue reading “Najib’s stand of unconditional surrender for the Sulu militants deserves the support of all Malaysians”
Jeswan Kaur | March 7, 2013
Free Malaysia Today
March 7, 2013
Lives have been lost in Lahad Datu all because the prime minister failed to uphold his responsibility of keeping the country and its people safe and secure.
COMMENT
After eight policemen died at the hands of intruders in Lahad Datu, the prime minister has come to his senses and declared that he has to defend Malaysia’s dignity and sovereignty.
This knee-jerk reaction from Najib Tun Razak in an attempt to do some damage-control has not appeased the rakyat; it has instead raised their hackles.
The Lahad Datu drama has raised a host of questions, all of which point to the federal government’s failure in averting bloodshed.
More precisely, the Lahad Datu debacle has revealed that Najib lacks perspicacity in preventing a crisis and this is a major cause for concern for the country and her people.
On March 1, armed intruders from the so-called Sulu army fired at policemen on duty in Lahad Datu, killing two of them and another six officers in Semporna the following day.
Najib was reported to have said that following the armed intrusion in Lahad Datu on Feb 12, the government adopted the approach of resolving the issue without bloodshed.
The unwise call by Najib today holds him accountable for the deaths of the eight policemen.
Had Barisan Nasional leaders been “on their toes” instead of prancing about for public sympathy and votes to secure a win in the general election, the Lahad Datu tragedy could have been avoided.
It is baffling that Najib decided to take a soft approach to the intrusion when the intruders themselves came armed to kill. Continue reading “Najib owes the rakyat answers”
P Gunasegaram
Malaysiakini
4:25PM Mar 6, 2013
QUESTION TIME The way the entire Lahad Datu intrusion/ insurgency/invasion – or whatever else one may want to call it – has been handled raises grave doubts over Malaysia’s ability to defend itself without fear or favour against anyone who infringes upon its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
That it has allowed itself to be lulled into such a state of complacency and lack of urgency, and seems to have totally underestimated the enemy is quite astonishing. And when it moved in after much foot-dragging it had nothing but embarrassment to show for it.
How could the authorities responsible for security have allowed the situation to balloon into such a serious violation of Malaysia?
And how could Malaysia have continued to allow a claim on part of its territory to go on for such a long time, even appearing to cuddle up to those making those claims?
Remember, this is the country, perhaps the first in the world, to have successfully contained and eventually beaten back the sustained armed communist insurrection and then faced down a confrontation from its big-brother neighbour Indonesia in 1965.
Have we gone slack in the intervening years and have we begun to severely underestimate the many threats of terrorist groups in this region? Are we fully capable of dealing with a sudden armed incursion into our country? Continue reading “Can Malaysia defend itself?”
By Kee Thuan Chye
Malaysian Digest
6.3.2013
Malaysians cannot but be shocked by what is happening in Sabah. And although our security forces are now hunting the remaining Sulu Sultanate intruders after having bombarded them in Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu, the crisis is far from over.
Meanwhile, questions abound in the minds of the lay public.
How did the intruders sneak into Lahad Datu from Feb 9 onwards, more than three weeks ago? There were reportedly as many as 300 of them, some heavily armed. How did that escape detection? Our Special Branch is highly regarded as being among the best intelligence units in the world. Did it not get wind of this incursion early enough?
Once the intruders had entered Lahad Datu, and after they had openly declared their intentions for intruding – which was to reclaim the area as their ancestral homeland – why did the Malaysian Government not react quickly enough to get them out?
A claim like that is a serious one and if it was not immediately nipped in the bud could lead to bigger implications. As it has turned out, these implications are beginning to emerge.
And yet, for two weeks, the Government humoured the intruders by engaging in, so the public was told by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, diplomatic negotiations. Political commentators called it giving them kid gloves’ treatment. Continue reading “Questions about Lahad Datu Crisis”
M Jegathesan, AFP/Malaysiakini
Mar 5, 2013
The military today launched a fierce assault including jet fighters on up to 300 Filipino intruders after a deadly three-week standoff, but the militants’ supporters said they had escaped and were alive and well.
Earlier federal police chief had also raised doubts about the success of the air and ground attack, saying “mopping up” operations had yet to find any bodies and suggesting at least some of the militants might have slipped away.
Premier Najib Abdul Razak said as the raid was under way that he had no choice but to unleash the military to end Malaysia’s biggest security crisis in years after the interlopers refused to surrender and 27 people were killed.
A day after the Philippines called for restraint, Malaysia launched a dawn assault on the estimated 100-300 gunmen on Borneo island, who invaded to claim Malaysian territory on behalf of a former Philippine sultanate.
Fighter jets bombed the standoff village of Tanduo in Sabah state on the northern tip of Borneo island, followed by a ground assault by troops. The area is set amid vast oil-palm plantations.
“The longer this invasion lasts, it is clear to the authorities that the invaders do not intend to leave Sabah,” Najib said in a statement.
But Abraham Idjirani, spokesman for the sultan Jamalul Kiram III, told AFP the attack had occurred “away from where” their men were, saying he spoke with the leader of the armed group about eight hours after the assault was launched. Continue reading “Doubts emerge over assault on invaders”
DAP and Pakatan Rakyat fully support all necessary measures in the Sabah Sulu crisis to defend the honour and sovereignty of the nation and to protect the security and safety of the people of Sabah and the security forces personnel.
The Sabah Sulu crisis is no partisan issue but affects the national sovereignty and security of the people of Sabah and the security forces personnel stationed in the state, and for this reason, all Malaysians, political parties and coalitions must rise above their differences to take a common position to advance the national cause and the people’s fundamental rights to peace, safety and livelihood.
It is for this reason that immediately after the Lahad Datu shootout last Friday, where two police commandoes were killed, the DAP leadership called on all Malaysians to rally as one people to face the Sabah Sulu crisis. Continue reading “Cabinet tomorrow should give mandate to Najib to summon emergency Parliament to defend national sovereignty and protect security of Sabahans and security forces personnel”
Live Reports
Malaysiakini
8:22AM Mar 5, 2013
The operation to remove the foreign intruders from Kg Tanduo, where more than 100 gunmen have holed up for three weeks began at 7am today.
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LIVE REPORTS
10.17am: Quoting a report from ANC News Channel, InterAksyon.com reports that bombs were being dropped about a kilometer away from where Azzimudie Kiram and his men were located.
Leader Azzimudie says his group could not yet determine if the bombs were meant to target them or their followers, but they remained safe and secure and were ready to fight back.
Meanwhile in Manila, a group of protesters have arrived at the Malaysia embassy to condemn the attack.
10.15am: Azzimudie Kiram, leader of the intruders, vents his anger at the Philippine government in a radio interview with InterAksyon.com, the online news portal of Philippine TV channel TV5.
“The government is ordering the arrest of our companions even if we haven’t done anything bad,” he said. “It’s like we aren’t Filipinos.”
Meanwhile, Abraham Idjarani, spokesperson of the sultanate, tells radio station dzBB that Azzimudie had phoned to inform them of the start of the assault.
“There is nothing to be done about that now,” Idjirani said in a separate interview with AFP.
He stressed that Azzimudie’s earlier announcement that they will fight to the end remains.
“We are not intruders. They (Malaysians) are the ones occupying our ancestral land,” he says.
10.09am: Police have set up a checkpoint on the main road in Tanjung Labian, which is about 5km from the site of hostilities. No one are allowed into the area.
The sounds of bombings have stopped in the last one hour. It is unclear whether ground troops have moved in as Kampung Tanduo has been off-limit to journalists since the stand-off began.
10.05am: In Manila, a team of police and journalists are gathering outside the Malaysian embassy. They are expecting a group of protesters to arrive there.
9.55am: Azzimudie Kiram confirmed during an interview with ABS-CBN’s dzMM radio that Malaysian forces are using fighter jets in the latest attack on their position in Lahad Datu.
The royal army’s leader also expressed his disappointment over Philippine President Benigno Aquino’s position on the crisis.
He said that the governments of Malaysia and the Philippines has obviously stopped listening to their calls for a peaceful resolution of the standoff. Continue reading “Fighter jets bomb Kg Tanduo, villagers flee area”
― Hussaini Abdul Karim
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 04, 2013
MARCH 4 ― Based on the reports and images as shown in our mainstream newspapers on the standoff between our troops and the armed Sulu group at Kampong Tanduo, many things seem to be wrong.
Firstly, while there are some members of the troops who were seen to be donning bullet-proof vests, none were wearing helmets. Some were seen wearing long-sleeved tee-shirts and standard ‘soft’ headgear, bandanas and some were not even wearing any headgear at all, especially the members of the VAT 69. Many were also seen not wearing bullet-proof vests. This is most surprising and wrong.
We are not cowboys on horses fighting against Red Indians armed with arrows, spears and axes!
Malaysian soldiers guarding the area were, however, seen wearing helmets and bullet-proof vests.
Mind you, unprotected bodies and unprotected heads aren’t bullet proof!
Secondly, there doesn’t seem to be any trenches and bunkers with sandbags to protect troops who are keeping watch and who came into contact with the enemy, resulting in eight already dead. Soldiers taking defensive positions must be dug in, whether in bunkers or trenches. They should not be taking up positions where they can be seen and shot at.
What I wrote above is basic modern warfare tactics, and in the standoff at Semporna, even these basics are not followed.
I was a soldier before and I do know something about basic modern warfare tactics. Continue reading “Why are our troops still on the defensive?”
By Ida Lim
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 05, 2013
File photo of police commandos on alert where the armed Filipino militants are holding up in a plantation outside Lahad Datu. — Reuters picKUALA LUMPUR, March 5 — While worried about their safety as armed foreigners roam the Sabah east coast, Sabahans have warned against stereotyping the thousands of Filipinos living in the Borneo state.
Followers of a claimant to the Sulu sultanate’s throne landed in Lahad Datu on February 9 to revive their claim to Sabah but clashes with police have left eight Malaysian policemen and 20 militants dead over the weekend.
“Yes. Too much chaos. I can’t take it. I just want Sabah to be peaceful again. No more bloodshed. But at the same time, I don’t want our leaders to make decisions without thinking,” 26-year-old Sabahan Audrey W. told The Malaysian Insider.
She had a lot of unanswered questions over the armed rebels who had set foot three-weeks ago in Kampung Tanduo, a village about 130km from Lahad Datu, asking: “How did they land in Sabah? Who allowed them?”
But she also pointed out that a number of Filipinos in the Borneo state have lived happily and were friendly with the locals for decades without problems.
“My parents are serving in a church where there are a lot of Filipinos and Indonesians members, church goers. My parents have been working so closely with them. They are very friendly and helpful and generous, giving people,” said Audrey, who works in a law firm in the state capital Kota Kinabalu.
“However there are a lot of Filipinos in Sabah. If they really want to retaliate or rise up, it’s actually quite scary. Most Sabahans are fearful for their safety,” she said.
Esther Chin, 23, also from Kota Kinabalu, appeared puzzled when commenting on the self-proclaimed followers of the Sultanate of Sulu who are now claiming that Sabah belongs to them, saying she did not understand why they suddenly wanted to “rise up”. Continue reading “Worried over security crisis, but Sabahans warn against stereotyping Filipinos”