Self-styled Sulu sultan who led Sabah invasion dies

Kiram’s daughter, Jacel Kiram-Hassan, revealed in a radio interview that her father succumbed to long-suffered kidney problems. — AFP pic

Self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, who led the Lahad Datu invasion to "reclaim" Sabah earlier this year, has died.

His daughter Jacel Kiram said that the 75-year old, who had been long suffering from kidney problems, died of multiple organ failure at the Philippine Heart Center, this morning.

On his deathbed, Kiram had asked his followers to continue with efforts to "repossess" Sabah for the Filipino people, GMA News Online reported.

The sultanate's spokesman Abraham Idjirani has reportedly said in a phone interview that reclaiming Sabah for the Philippines was one of the last decrees issued by Kiram before he died.

"(His third decree was) not to waive the objective to repossess Sabah for the sake of the Filipino people... Kiram decreed that the mission to repossess Sabah should continue," Idjirani said in an interview on dzBB radio.

The late Kiram also made two other orders, for his brothers to get closer and for their families to unite, according to Idjirani.

Idjiraniv also said Kiram had talked to his two brothers, including Agbimuddin Raja Muda Kiram, who led the armed group into Sabah.

Arrangements are being made for his remains to be brought to Taguig City as Kiram had expressed his wish to be buried in Sulu.

Kiram made headlines in February, when he sent some 200 armed Filipino men led by his brother Agbimuddin to Lahad Datu on February 9, renewing their centuries-old claim of Sabah as part of the now defunct Sulu Sultanate.

Calling themselves the Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo, they set up camp, with no intention of leaving their "home".

Malaysian security forces tagged them as "terrorists", and an aggressive manhunt backed by firepower from Malaysia’s fighter jets ensued. There were fatalities on both sides, making this the biggest peacetime casualty suffered by Malaysia’s security forces.

Both Manila and Putrajaya have denounced the late Kiram's actions.