JK III prevents more followers from entering Sabah

Filipino Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III gestures as he talks on a mobile phone during a news conference in Alabang, south of Manila, Philippines. Kiram said his younger brother and about 500 relatives and followers, including at least 20 armed escorts, recently travelled from the southern Philippines to resettle in eastern Sabah state in Malaysia, which he said his royal clan owns, and not to sow violence in the region. Malaysian police surrounded the Filipinos in a Sabah coastal village. 

(Borneo Insider) - They decided to revive the sultanate’s claim over Sabah after it became apparent that the issue was placed on the back burner following the signing of the framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government in October. 

Staying put but no aggression, say spokesman of Sulu Sultanate

Filipino Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III gestures as he talks on a mobile phone during a news conference in Alabang, south of Manila, Philippines. Kiram said his younger brother and about 500 relatives and followers, including at least 20 armed escorts, recently travelled from the southern Philippines to resettle in eastern Sabah state in Malaysia, which he said his royal clan owns, and not to sow violence in the region. Malaysian police surrounded the Filipinos in a Sabah coastal village.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines: The followers of the Sultanate of Sulu, who are locked in a standoff with Malaysian security forces, said they are unharmed and would continue to stay in Lahad Datu, which is part of the area in Sabah claimed by the sultanate as their homeland.

Abraham Idjirani, secretary general to the Sultanate of Sulu under Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, said they have just communicated with the group on Tuesday and that the latter said they are in good condition.

“They have not been moved or harmed by the Malaysian security forces,” Idjirani said.

Kiram has no intention of pulling out his followers, the secretary general said, adding that “there is no intention of sending additional people to assert our rights.”

“In the meantime, we will prove to them that the intention in going there is to bring peace,” Idjirani said.

According to Idjirani, “sending additional people will give different meaning” and Kiram is avoiding precisely that.

The sultanate secretary general said they do not want to impress upon the Malaysian government that sending people to Sabah is a form of aggression, adding that those who are engaged in the standoff are unarmed.

Idjirani disclosed that Kiram has even prevented more people from the Sultanate of Sulu to proceed to Sabah to claim the island.

He said they have gathered that many of their people from Palawan and the areas of Sulu wanted to follow Raja Muda Abimuddin Kiram, brother of the sultan and who led the 200 sultanate members in Lahad Datu.

“The Sultan prevented the influx of thousands of our followers because we want to show that we do not mean to wage war but to show peace and understanding because we have a stake to claim,” Idjirani added.

Idjirani has earlier said they decided to revive the sultanate’s claim over Sabah after it became apparent that the issue was placed on the back burner following the signing of the framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government in October. Malaysia, the other Sabah claimant, has been serving as facilitator of the peace talks between the government and MILF.

He added that they also informed President Aquino of the sultanate’s support to the Philippines’ Sabah claim.