Declare emergency in Sabah

Malaysia must also severe all diplomatic ties with the Philippines for the moment and if necessary suspend trade and bilateral activities over Manila's failure to stop the Sulu invasion.

COMMENT

By R Kengadharan

The armed invaders may not corporate and surrender hence the full force of the law and military might must fall on them.

Malaysia cannot allow this situation to persist. There has been serious violation of both domestic and international laws that resulted in indiscriminate loss of life.

The current situation cannot guarantee the safety and well-being of the people of Sabah and any operation to flush out the invaders would require time and considerable effort especially when they have now melted away.

While all effort to identify must continue the government cannot compromise and must immediately establish a temporary safety corridor.

Every humanitarian help and assistance must continue and it is also the duty of the government to ensure that the unfortunate conflict does not arrive in Sarawak and to the Peninsular.

Thus there is an immediate and urgent need to beef up coastal and airport securities and eliminate domestic Suluk uprising.

For the moment the question of resolving and/or negotiating does not arise when the Sultan of Sulu and his gunmen has chosen the path of violence and deliberately and intentionally defied the sovereignty of Malaysia and its authorities.

To a larger extend Manila must be held responsible for the present conflict as they were not able to curb and/or contain the conflict and aggression.

Manila has failed to take immediate steps to halt the steady progression of the aggression against Sabah hence it is only legitimate for Malaysia to severe all diplomatic ties with the Philippines for the moment and if necessary suspend trade and bilateral activities.

We ask the government of Malaysia to call for an urgent siting in the United Nations condemning the Philippines on their failure for not having taken appropriate steps consistent with international laws to stop the invaders from penetrating into our jurisdiction.

The refusal to take measures somewhat appears that the Philippines assisted the provocation and aggression against Sabah.

In this “act of war”, Malaysia is no position to provide a warm, friendly and brotherly treatment to the invaders and all migration and/or relocation effort earlier promised must now permanently seize until our pride and sovereignty is restored.

In an effort to contain fresh violence, Malaysia must adopt a hardline policy to deescalate the tension.

There is no doubt the security, the economic life and public order in Sabah is threatened and to avoid more casualties, damage and disaster the government must now quickly move to declare a state of emergency in Sabah.

R Kengadharan is a lawyer and a former ISA detainee