Lahad Datu struggles to return to normalcy

Three days after Lahad Datu town came to terms with the fact that it is not immune to the Royal Sulu Army incursion on its far-off coastline, it is struggling to return to normalcy.
    
The town was jolted out of complacency when columns of military trucks arrived following a shootout at Kampung Tanduo, some 130km away, where there had been a 17-day stand-off between the invading Sulus and Malaysian security forces. 

A total of 12 Filipinos and two police commandos were killed in the gunfight last Friday.

The army and police turned up in full force at the local hospital where injured security personnel had been taken for treatment, while police helicopters used the local airport as a base.

Despite the dramatic scene quickly fading away, the residents are still grappling with the military blitz.

While some shops have begun to re-open, many more, particularly small private businesses, remain closed. 

"They are all worried, they dare not open shop," said a bak kut teh restaurant owner whose outlet was among the few open for business.

The shop owner, who declined to be named, said he decided to open for business due to competition.

"Well, the restaurant next door has opened, and all the VIPs eat there. I suppose if something were to happen. they would know. If they can open, then it should be fine," he laughed.

However, he admitted that he is worried and has made it a point to close up early.

"Life goes on, but few people dare to come out at night now. Business is 40 percent less than usual at night," he said.

Another resident, who declined to be named, said the last time something like this happened, he was still in school. At the time, a group of armed Filipinos had launched a raid on the town, causing fear.

Asked if he was worried that the local Tausug community would sympathise with the armed invaders now holed up in Kampung Tanduo, he replied: "That will not happen.”

"Most of those here are living a good life. It is those people who intruded across our borders that are creating trouble.”

Military now in Bandar Cenderawasih

A check at the Lahad Datu Hospital showed that only three police officers were present, standing guard over their comrades who were injured during last Friday’s skirmish.

Flights in and out of Lahad Datu have resumed, an officer at the airport confirmed.

Flight tickets out can be obtained as early as three hours before the departure time on the same day. Police helicopters, however, continue to use the airport.

The military force now appears to have converged on Bandar Cenderawasih, about 30km away from Kampung Tanduo.

A check found more than a dozen military trucks parked at Felda's Kolej Integrasi Ilmu in Bandar Cenderawasih.

The town is equipped with facilities rivalling any urban centre, but sits in the middle of the Felda Sahabat oil palm plantation. It also plays host to a sizeable police station similar to a district headquarter in the cities.

Media briefings are conducted in Bandar Sahabat, a resort town approximately 10km away from Bandar Cenderawasih and 15km away from Kampung Tanduo.