Sulu sultanate not a terrorist group, says Tian Chua

PKR vice-president Tian Chua today claimed that the self-proclaimed Sulu Sultanate group, which forms part of the Philippines government, is not a terrorist group.

Chua said this when lambasting BN lawmakers and Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed at the Dewan Rakyat during the winding-up debate on Budget 2016 at the committee stage.

The verbal attack came when Chua asked which group of Sulu forces from the southern Philippines planned another attack on Sabah as alleged by Nur Jazlan.

Nur Jazlan had earlier questioned why the PKR vice-president had met with the self-proclaimed Sulu princess Jacel Kiram who was an "enemy of the state".

Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) also asked if the recent Manila meeting between Chua, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and Jacel Kiram was part of an effort by the opposition to attract the invaders back to Sabah.

While claiming the Budget 2016 debate was not a platform for him to explain about the meeting, Chua, however, questioned Nur Jazlan on the Sulu plan to reclaim Sabah again.

"My question is quite specific. The deputy minister had made a statement on Nov 28, saying that there is a plan, a threat from the Sulu group against Lahad Datu," said Chua.

"Thus, I want to get confirmation if you are certain that this intelligence is true. If this is true, what are the measures being taken to prevent an attack?" he aked.

"The deputy minister in his answer, however, linked it to the meeting in Manila involving me and Lembah Pantai (parliamentarian Nurul Izzah)," he said, accusing the Umno leader of politicising the security issue.

"Has the government identified where the group is from ? We know there is the Abu Sayyaf (terrorist group). I want to be sure the government will take proactive action," he said.

"If it is alleged to be the self-proclaimed (Sulu Sultanate) group that we had met, they are part of the Philippine (government), they are not a terrorist group," he added.

"The group that is not recognised by the Philippine gorvernment is the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) which is being assisted by Malaysia in its negotiations with the Philippines," he said.

Controversial photographs

On Nov 28, the New Straits Times reported Nur Jazlan as saying that intelligence information showed that militants were planning a "revenge attack" following the 2013 incursion into Lahad Datu.

The controversial photographs of both Nurul Izzah and Jacel taken in Manila and uploaded by Jacel Kiram, who is now a Philippine senator, had caused Nurul Izzah to be probed by police.

Nurul Izzah has apologised if the photograph had hurt Sabahans and the families of security personnel slain during the incursion. -Mkini