Malaysia Attacks Filipino Intruders In Borneo

[bootleultras]

Could increase tensions down on the far Southern Islands I guess.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/04/world/asia/malaysia-philippines-standoff/index.html

Edited March 5, 2013 by bootleultras

[Jake]

Could increase tensions down on the far Southern Islands I guess.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/04/world/asia/malaysia-philippines-standoff/index.html

After repeated failed negotiations to ask the armed Filipino invaders to leave, I'm glad that Malaysia applied

the hammer once and for all.  They may still be pockets of intruders in Malaysian state of Sabah, on Borneo

and I'm afraid they might take some local hostages, just to save their skin.  After all, that was their livelihood

in Mindanao -- kidnap for ransom to buy more drugs and weapons.   

 

Forget about their so called ancestral rights -- it's all about real estate.

[Bruce]

Forget about their so called ancestral rights -- it's all about real estate.

 

And why now? Election diversion or attempt to embarrass Nonoy?

[i am bob]

Forget about their so called ancestral rights -- it's all about real estate.

 

And why now? Election diversion or attempt to embarrass Nonoy?

That seems to be the general consensus from a lot of other elected officials.   Since he didn't give them what they wanted in the agreement with the MILF...

[Mike S]

And now all those poor little college radicals instead of studying are protesting outside the Malaysian Embassy ..... imagine the nerve of those Malaysians repelling an evasion by their Filipino countrymen .....  weren't these the same bunch protesting against China when China tried taking over the Spratleys ..... I swear I recognize some of the very same faces ..... :hystery:  :hystery:  ..... kinda like the pot calling the kettle black (geeeee .... I hope that saying is still allowed these days ... you know free speech and all ..... :mocking:  :mocking: )   

[i am bob]

you know free speech and all .....   ) 

 

Speech is only free when you don't have to pay for it....  

 

That will be P850 please...   :mocking:

[Markham]

There has been a discussion of this topic on a UK-based equivalent to this site and one of its members has provided a very detailed explanation.

 

In a nutshell, the Sultan of Brunei ceded part of north Borneo, now known as Sabah, to the Sultanate of Sulu after the later helped Brunei quell a rebellion in the 15th Century. However, by 1870, the Sultanate of Sulu had fallen on hard times and agreed to lease Sabah to Alfred Dent, a Briton living in Hong Kong who formed the North Borneo Company (modelled on the East India Company) with its main asset, a lease for Sabah costing 5,000 Malayan Dollars a year. In 1903, the then Sultan of Sulu entered a new arrangement with the Dent family's North Borneo Company and ceded Sabah and certain offshore islands to them but at an increased premium of 5,300 Malayan Dollars.

 

The Japanese wrecked Sabah during World War 2 and because the Dents could not afford to rebuild, handed their lease of Sabah to the British Government which in 1963 held a referendum and the locals decided to federate with Malaya. Marcos secretly recruited Moslems from Sulu and Tawi-Tawi into the Philippine Army with the aim of invading Sabah and claiming it for the Philippines. But when the recruits discovered what they were being trained for, they mutinied and all but one (who escaped) were shot in what became known as the Jabidah Massacre. Because the Philippine Army carelessly allowed one to escape, it all got out and the press made a fuss with the result that Malaysia broke-off diplomatic relations with the Philippines. Since then diplomatic relations with Malaysia have been restored but the formal apology demanded by Malaysia has never been given - it is one of the "third rails" of Filipino politics.

 

Malaysia has from time to time supplied arms to the MNLF and MILF, and has arranged training for them in Sabah. These arms very often came from Gaddafi's Libya. At the same time, Malaysia turned a fairly blind eye to Filipino immigration into Sabah - the DFA estimate that there are 538,000 Filipinos living in Sabah of whom 447,000 are illegal immigrants.

The attack by the self appointed Sultan's private army may well make Malaysia change its mind about allowing Filipinos to live in Sabah, in which case the Philippines will have a Moslem refugee problem.

 

Kiram and his henchmen almost certainly planned their little venture because they had been excluded from the Phillipine Government's peace talks with the MILF, brokered by Malaysia, which led to the peace agreement and the setting up of Bangsamoro as a national homeland for the Moro peoples. The MNLF were likewise excluded which is why some of their people joined the expedition - Nur Misuari, founder of the MNLF, is a member of the fairly vast "royal family" of Sulu.

The rent is still paid but these days it is only 77,000 pesos a year, which, as we all know, does not go very far these days.

[nor cal mike]

As American journalist Paul Harvey would say..... "and now you know the rest of the story"...... Thanks Markham very interesting read.

[Bruce]

So it is a basic family blood feud on a much larger scale, with a few key players tricking the less educated into believing in some long lost treasure is to be had.

 

With respect to the illegal immigrants from Phils into that area of Malaysia, assuming they are muslims..... Well I think that is a missed opportunity for Manila to pay a one time 'immigration fee' to both the Malaysian government and individual muslims on Mindenao as an incentive to leave Phils en mass! Why I even heard a rumor from a very highly placed source that there is GOLD in Malaysia! Better act quick!  

 

 

Now, I just hope those indians in New York will not hear about this and want Manhattan back...... :hystery: With interest!

[Old55]

You are the man, Markham!
Thank you for the detailed easy to understand explanation I had no idea.