Went to Malacca for a day trip. Some significant development around the ancient Red House area. Came back via the Johor Bahru-Woodland route and found even bigger changes around the area near the custom checkpoints. Pretty amazing and got lost for a while twisting and turning looking for the proper route to the custom checkpoints!
"Seven killed in fresh clashes in Malaysian Borneo - AFP 03 March 2013
LAHAD DATU, Malaysia: Five Malaysian
policemen and two gunmen died in a fresh clash on Borneo as fears mounted that
violence linked to a deadly standoff with Filipino intruders had spread to other
areas, police said on Sunday.
The shootout late on Saturday in the town
of Semporna followed a firefight the day before, between Filipino followers of a
self-proclaimed sultan and Malaysian security forces that left 12 intruders dead
along with two police officers.
The new clash in Semporna, 300
kilometres (190 miles) from the site of the three-week standoff, occurred when
police were "ambushed" by gunmen during a security sweep, Malaysia's national
police chief Ismail Omar told reporters.
An estimated 100-300 Filipinos
have been surrounded in a farming village by a Malaysian police and military
cordon since landing by boat from the nearby Philippines on February 12 to
insist the area belongs to their Islamic leader.
The leader, Jamalul
Kiram III, 74, claims to be the heir to the Islamic sultanate of Sulu, which
once controlled parts of the southern Philippines and the Malaysian state of
Sabah on Borneo.
Malaysian media also quoted Ismail saying that police
were pursuing yet another group of armed men in Kunak, another town in the area.
The fresh developments have sparked Malaysian fears of a possible wider
campaign of violence by supporters of the group in Sabah, which has large
numbers of Filipino immigrants, both legal and illegal.
Officials issued
calls for calm as some stores in the region reported panic buying of goods.
The situation is a highly delicate one for the Southeast Asian
neighbours.
The Philippine government is looking to consolidate recent
progress in mending fences with Islamic separatists in its south.
Malaysia, meanwhile, could face pressure at home for taking harsh action
against the intruders.
Following Friday's initial firefight, Malaysian
police threatened "drastic action" to clear out the trespassers.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino, who has sharply criticised the
intruders, also urged them to surrender unconditionally.
But Kiram's
spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, repeated on Sunday that his followers would not
budge.
He added the sultan would seek US intervention, citing a past
agreement with Washington, which controlled the Philippines in the early 1900s.
"(Malaysia) want to hide the truth, that they do not own Sabah. It is
owned by us," he said.
US embassy officials in Manila were not
immediately available to comment.
The Sulu sultanate's power faded about
a century ago but it has continued to receive nominal payments from Malaysia for
Sabah under a historical lease arrangement passed down from European colonial
powers.
Kiram's people are demanding Malaysia recognise the sultanate
owns Sabah and share profits from economic development in the state."
It is almost like a page from the Hollywood film. Is this real?
Lessons for me are:
1. interesting that this particular claim, strongly asserted, happened just before the Malaysia General Election, the conspiracy theorists will say. Why now? Why with so much violence? A distraction? The usual: "Create a Common Enemy" ploy? I hope not as it is very selfish and cruel to play with life and death in the pursuit of political power! But then, maybe I am just been immature and naive?;
.
2. this incident and the claims showed how little I know about South East Asia history. Is it true that the claim is true? should violence be the approach in this case? could the parties involved NOT talk about it and resolve through peaceful means? The Malaysian police are really left with no choice when a boatload of foreigners landed in your country with firearms and claimed that the particular piece of land belonged to them and not your country!!;
3. what now is the question on everyone's mind. Fight fire with fire. An eye for an eye until everyone goes blind?? Is there any truth in the 'conspiracy theory'? how skillful are the authorities, both Malaysia and the Philippines, in handling this situation? President Aquino has voiced his strong objection to the 'aggressive manner' of the supposedly Sulu Sultan's claim and his men's tactics. Malaysia PM has voiced his view that 'more drastic actions will be taken!'. Will there be another never ending 'guerrila' war going in Sabah? I hope not. Such war is LONG and draining and will STOP all healthy development of society - infrastructure, education, higher quality of living, etc.
May this 'touchy and sensitive and explosive' episode be dealt with quickly and with minimal knock-on effects.
About Me

- LU Keehong Mr
- I am a Practitioner of 'The 7e Way of Leaders' where a Leader will Envision, Enable (ASK for TOP D), Empower, Execute, Energize, and Evolve grounded on ETHICS!
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