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Showing posts with label Sabah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sabah. Show all posts
Former Sabah Pakatan reps face hostile reception
Written By Unknown on Tuesday, 12 November 2013 | 18:45
By Roy Goh THREE assemblymen will be seated with different views when the Sabah 2014 Budget is presented at the state legislative assembly this Friday.
After their unceremonious departure recently, they will not be sitting with the opposition Pakatan line-up and surely not with Barisan Nasional backbenchers.
Despite claiming to be government or BN-friendly independents, Hiew King Chiu, Jelani Hamdan and Jeremy Malajad will be on their own.
How they plan to support BN is anybody's guess, but they can expect a hostile reception from Pakatan lawmakers.
Hiew was the first to leave DAP in September, followed by Jeremy and Jelani from PKR on different days last week.
This sparked strong protests from the parties they represented in the May 5 general election this year, apart from showing cracks in the loose alliance. It also exposed undelivered promises that were eventually used by the trio as part of their excuse to leave the opposition pact.
Following the election, Pakatan reasoned it needed to provide greater recognition to Kadazandusun leaders to hold on to its support in Sabah. Leaders from the community were promised key positions but were left out.
Former Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin was made Sabah PKR chief and opposition leader in the state assembly. Hiew disagreed, however, on how Lajim was picked as the leader while Jelani and Jeremy felt the Kadazandusuns were marginalised by PKR.
Pakatan is now left with eight assemblymen -- five from PKR and three from DAP. Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitin BN can also make do without the three independents as they still command a big majority or 48 of the 60 seats in the state assembly.
Some of the BN component parties would not be too excited if their coalition partners roped in any of the three under their wing.
Hiew was Kota Kinabalu member of parliament after the 2008 general election and Luyang assemblyman after May 5, defeating candidates from PBS and MCA respectively.
Jeremy, the Kadamaian assemblyman, was with Upko but jumped ship to PKR to contest against PBS incumbent Herbert Timbun Lagadan.
As for Jelani, who was once a rising star in Umno before being suspended for money politics, his return to BN would likely not be welcomed. PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili made it clear recently when he said BN would need to be wary of their intentions.
"Direct acceptance of opposition representatives into a BN component party is essentially party hopping and unprincipled political behaviour.
"It is gratifying that members of the opposition and their elected representatives have realised that only BN can deliver for the people. PBS welcomes new BN supporters but, as a principle, it prefers to be cautious of elected representatives who have jumped parties.
"It is important to know if those who left the opposition were sincere in their actions," said Ongkili, who is also Kota Marudu MP.
As a rule, former BN members who contested for the opposition could not be accepted without full consent from coalition members.
Upko secretary-general Datuk Donald Mojuntin said it was only fair for the coalition partners that were affected in the elections.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had lambasted the three party hoppers and blamed the BN for enttheir respective parties.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, however, said Anwar should look within the opposition alliance before pointing fingers at others.
"There are certain leaders in Pakatan who have come to realise that to stay on with the coalition would be futile.
"They are moving on to serve their constituencies. Instead of blaming others for its weaknesses, Pakatan should examine itself."
Read more: Former Sabah Pakatan reps face hostile reception - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/former-sabah-pakatan-reps-face-hostile-reception-1.399132#ixzz2kUQazgcI
We knew of possible Sulu intrusion but details were sketchy, says senior Special Branch officer
Written By Unknown on Wednesday, 17 July 2013 | 18:30
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. - July 18, 2013
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. - July 18, 2013
Thursday, 18 July 2013Last Update: 09:17am
Sembunyi info, koperal diarah bela
KOTA KINABALU - Mahkamah Tinggi di sini hari ini memerintahkan seorang anggota polis, yang didakwa menyembunyikan maklumat mengenai aktiviti penganas di Sabah, membela diri.Ketika menyampaikan keputusannya, Hakim P.Ravinthran berkata pihak pendakwaan, diketuai oleh Datuk Nordin Hassan, telah menghasilkan kes prima facie terhadap Koperal Detektif Hassan Ali Basari selepas mereka mengemukakan 18 saksi dalam perbicaraan empat hari bermula 24 Jun.
Hakim menetapkan 24, 25 dan 26 Julai bagi pendengaran, dengan sekurang-kurangnya empat saksi dan tertuduh.
Menurut hakim, beliau puas hati dengan bukti komunikasi yang dipintas pada nombor telefon Hassan, yang dilakukan secara sah.
Beliau juga berkata pencerobohan di Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu oleh apa yang dipanggil Tentera Diraja Sulu dari Filipina Selatan berlaku dan tertuduh gagal mendedahkan maklumat relevan ketika beliau berpeluang untuk berbuat demikian.
Hassan didakwa melakukan kesalahan itu antara Januari dan 3 Mac di pejabat Cawangan Khas Lahad Datu.
Beliau didakwa di bawah Seksyen 130M Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara maksimum tujuh tahun atau denda atau kedua-duanya sekali jika sabit kesalahan.
Hassan diwakili Kamarudin Mohamad Chinki dan Ram Singh. - Bernama
TAHU 2 MINGGU AWAL SEBELUM PENCEROBOHAN SABAH BERLAKU
Pendedahan seorang pegawai daerah mengenai polis sebenarnya sudah tahu mengenai rancangan pencerobohan Sulu di Sabah, dua minggu sebelum kejadian pada Februari lalu amat menggemparkan negara.Ia menimbulkan banyak persoalan, terutama apabila memikirkan mengenai anggota keselamatan Malaysia terkorban dalam kejadian yang sepatutnya mungkin dapat dielakkan. Berapa lama pula agaknya keselamatan negara kita berada dalam keadaan bahaya berikutan kegagalan perisikan dan komunikasi antara Kuala Lumpur dengan Sabah.
Perkara ini terdedah apabila Pegawai Daerah Lahad Datu, Zulkifli Nasir yang memberitahu Suruhanjaya Diraja dan Inkuiri (RCI) berhubung pendatang tanpa izin di Sabah, semalam, bahawa beliau ada bertemu dengan Ketua Polis Daerah, Superintendan Shamsudin Mat pada Februari lalu dan memberitahunya mengenai rancangan pencerobohan darat oleh penceroboh bersenjata.
"Saya diberitahu bahawa Lahad Datu adalah sasaran utama penceroboh bersenjata itu dan isu itu adalah rahsia besar. Saya diberi amaran supaya tidak membocorkan berita mengenai isu itu," katanya di hadapan lima panel RCI yang diketuai bekas Ketua Hakim Sabah dan Sarawak, Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong.
Bagaimanapun, saksi ke-177 itu berkata:"Tindakan pantas polis mengepung pengganas Sulu yang bersenjata di Kampung Tanduo menghalang mereka daripada menyerang Lahad Datu."
Sumber lain mengesahkan kepada The Malaysian Insider bahawa polis sudah tahu mengenai kemungkinan pencerobohan berlaku selepas pedagang maritim yang berulang-alik di perairan antara Sabah dan Filipina tidak kelihatan beberapa hari sebelum serangan pertama.
Bagaimanapun, tiada siapa yang memberi amaran di luar Lahad Datu.
Selama ini, rakyat Malaysia percaya bahawa pencerobohan itu adalah secara mengejut dan tidak ada pasukan keselamatan yang mencukupi untuk melindungi sempadan kita, terutama di kawasan sempadan yang terlalu dekat antara Sabah dan Filipina.
Malah, Menteri Dalam Negeri pada ketika itu, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, berkata penceroboh adalah orang tua tanpa senjata dan rundingan itu adalah tindakan terbaik untuk hari itu berbanding meletakkan risiko berlakunya pertempuran kecil dan insiden diplomatik antarabangsa dengan pengikut Sultan Sulu Filipina.
Tetapi, seseorang sudah tahu yang penceroboh akan tiba sebelum sambutan Tahun Baru Cina dan memastikan tidak ada orang lain tahu mengenainya. Kenapa?
Memandangkan polis mempunyai maklumat risikan mengenai kemungkinan pencerobohan, mereka tidak sepatutnya tidak bersedia apabila kononnya Tentera Raja Sulu muncul di Lahad Datu pada Februari 2013 dan tidak mungkin dua anggota polis VAT 69 di Ulu Kinta Perak - Sarjan Sabarudin Daud, 46; dan Asisten Superintendan Zulkifli Mamat, 29, maut atau enam lagi terbunuh dalam kejadian di Semporna.
Anggota polis dan barisan tentera berhak untuk marah atas kehilangan rakan seperjuangan mereka. Begitu juga rakyat Malaysia kini apabila mereka tahu polis sudah tahu mengenai pencerobohan itu lebih awal.
Selepas apa yang didengar di RCI semalam, adalah sangat penting untuk kerajaan mengadakan RCI kejadian Lahad Datu. Bagi mengetahui apa sebenarnya yang berlaku dan mengapa tidak ada seorang pun yang menjangkakan bahawa adalah lebih baik untuk mencegah pencerobohan itu daripada membiarkannya menjadi penutup yang berdarah.
Dijangkakan kira-kira 235 militan Filipina melakukan pencerobohan itu untuk menghancurkan kehidupan rakyat Sabah serta keluarga anggota polis dan tentera yang terbunuh, tetapi, tidak ada sesiapa menghentikannya sebelum mereka boleh melakukannya. Kenapa?
Kejadian itu menyebabkan pergeseran antara dua negara berjiran dan mengingatkan semula Filipina tuntutannya terhadap Sabah. Mengapa ada orang yang membenarkan perkara itu berlaku?
Terlalu banyak persoalan dibangkitkan mengenai berita yang menggemparkan beberapa bulan selepas pencerobohan itu. Rakyat Malaysia perlu tahu kisah sebenar perkara ini kerana ia membabitkan kepercayaan kepada polis dan keselamatan nasional.
Source: Via OLEH JAHABAR SADIQ,PENGARANG ,JULY 17, 2013
