One More Malaysian Casualty

Image credit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sulu-sultanate-has-no-legitimate-claim-over-sabah-says-bar-council

Image credit: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/newscommentaries/55053-sabah-stand-off-philippine-armed-intruders-shoot-dead-malaysian-soldier

Image credit: http://news.malaysia.msn.com/regional/malaysian-soldier-shot-dead-in-borneo-clashes-9

On Sunday, a “terrorist” was shot dead in Kampung Tanjung Batu. And another three died in a gun battle at nearby Sungai Nyamuk in Lahad Datu this morning. The total number of militant intruders killed, to date, stand at 57, not counting the dead teenager. Malaysian security forces suffered their ninth casualty in this particular firefight.

And the fate of the Sulu sultan's brother, Agbimuddin – a former assistant district officer of Kudat and also married to the daughter of a local village head – is still unknown.

Finally the Jalur Gemilang is flying in Kampung Tanduo to symbolize the area as being free of the Sulu "invaders".

Pic courtesy of Malaysian Defense Ministry

On the reported brutality by Malaysian security forces when they embarked on a house-to-house search for the so-called "terrorists" amongst the Filipino communities in Tawau, Kunak, Sandakan and Lahad Datu, Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib had strongly denied the allegations made. Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also described the charges as baseless.

But it does not help matters when Malaysia is barring members of the Philippine media from entering Sabah because as Zahid said he wanted to avoid misreporting!

"We do not want them to report something (that is) different from what (actually) happened or spin a story and strain relations between our two governments", he had said. Sometimes, I wonder who is doing the spinning. In any case, this will only reinforce the belief, rightly or wrongly that there is some truth in the stories recounted by Filipinos fleeing Sabah and who are now back in their homeland, that they had been violently mistreated.

And in a parting shot, Zahid added, "We (had) received no official report that thousands of Malaysians of Sulu descent had sought refuge in the Philippines". Then he maintained that the security forces had followed standard operating procedures when conducting Ops Daulat to flush out armed militants. This, of course, is nothing new because it is officialdom's favorite excuse when trying to justify something they did.

And Musa Aman, Sabah's chief minister seems more interested in “campaigning”. After a meeting with Suluk community leaders, he was quoted to have said "The entire society must cooperate and remain loyal with the Barisan Nasional government”! WTF!