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Thursday, July 18, 2013

We knew of possible Sulu intrusion but details were sketchy, says senior Special Branch officer


Malaysian police had prior information of a possible landing by Sulu intruders in Lahad Datu last February but the details were sketchy and did not qualify as intelligence, said a senior Special Branch officer.

His comments, the first by a senior police officer, come in the wake of the disturbing disclosure at the on-going Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah where the Lahad Datu district officer, Zulkifli Nasir, had testified that police had informed him about the planned landing of the Sulu intruders.

Zulkifli told the panel he was informed of this by the Lahad Datu police chief, Supt Shamsudin Mat.

"I was warned not to leak any news about the issue," he told the five-man RCI panel.

This revelation at the RCI raised several questions, notably why Malaysia's security agencies were caught off guard by the arrival of the Sulu intruders, led by Agbimuddin Kiram, the brother of the sultan of Sulu, Sultan Jamalul Kiram.

The Special Branch officer told The Malaysian Insider that despite the information, police did not have any intelligence report on the gunmen, when they were coming, or if they were armed.

"We did not know why they were coming to Malaysia, whether it was to steal, to attack or to wage war," he revealed.

"It was impossible to monitor the Sulu people as they have been coming in and going out freely since the early 2000s.

"They have families and relatives living in Sabah and they often come over to visit them. It is difficult to monitor their comings and goings."

The source added that Malaysian police do not have intelligence coverage which extends to southern Philippines, especially among the Sulu people.

He said the Suluks had been entering Malaysia in small numbers through various points along the coast of Lahad Datu and gathering in Kampung Tanduo.

"By then, Malaysian security forces were alerted to their presence and were sent to the village to surround the intruders," the officer said.

"Even though they had intruded into Malaysia, we didn't want any bloodshed. We sent in negotiators to try and reach an amicable solution."

The officer said the deaths of the policemen and soldiers in Ops Daulat was due to unavoidable circumstances and deception by the enemy.

"In the first incident on March 1, policemen were lured into an ambush by the terrorists who pretended they wanted to surrender by waving a white flag.

"The terrorists didn't live up to their end of the bargain; they took advantage of our good nature and ambushed our boys."

The source said in the second incident at the squatter colony in Palau Gaya, Sempron, the policemen had walked into the intruders' headquarters.

Ops Daulat claimed 65 lives including six civilians and 10 Malaysian security personnel.

The officer said many of the armed Sulu intruders were between the ages of 50 and 60 but they were fitter than most men their age due to the hard life they had lived.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Baker declined to comment on the revelations made by Zulkily on Tuesday.

"The Lahad Datu police chief (Supt Shamsudin Mat) will be giving his testimony at RCI today," he said, adding he did not want to comment on the issue now for fear of being held in contempt. 

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