Finally – It takes the lives of eight cops for PM Najib and BN to get it
right
Embattled
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has given the green light for the army to
begin the attack on armed Filipino intruders still hiding out in Lahad Datu,
Sabah.
Najib - who has come under severe
criticism for indecisive handling of the crisis - said in a media statement
that the move was necessary to defend Malaysia's sovereignty.
Last night on Twitter, he had called
on Malaysians to rally behind the security forces and hoped for a quick end to
the crisis.
No parliamentary
consensus: Rising death toll
The Malaysian army began its attack
at 7am. Sounds of gunfire and explosions could be heard while fighter jets
could be seen circling the small coastal village in East Malaysia which has
become famous over the past 3 weeks.
A group of some 200 ragtag Filipino
men claiming to be members of the Sulu Sultan's army had managed to slip past
Malaysia's security surveillance, landing by boats to lay claim to the land.
Refusing to leave, they defied a Feb
22 deadline given by the Malaysian authorities. Two major skirmishes on Friday
and Saturday night have led to at least 28 deaths, of whom 8 were Malaysian
policemen.
Shocked by the climbing death toll
and worried that hostilities might spread if left unchecked, Malaysians had
demanded that Najib resolve the crisis swiftly.
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and
his Pakatan Rakyat coalition did not mince their words at a Monday press
conference, demanding that Najib did his job and checked the rising anxiety not
just in Sabah but starting to creep into the rest of the country.
They urged him to convene an
emergency roundtable in Parliament to discuss the best solution with the least
loss of lives.
"We are disappointed with the
weak leadership shown by Dato Seri Najib Razak, the Home Minister and Defense
Minister, whose responsibility is to keep Malaysia's security intact. It is
time that the PM realizes that his priority is to defend Malaysia, its people
and the warriors on the front line," said Anwar.
Going it alone: Stocking
up for emergency
However it looks like Najib has
chosen to go it alone.
Police confirmed last night that 7
battalions have been sent to Lahad Datu.
Rumours of sightings of armed
intruders have rocked Malaysia, especially Sabah state, where reports of groups
being spotted in Tuaran, Ranau and Sandakan have sparked a mini panic.
"People are stocking up on
food, essentials, fearing emergency," a Sabah-based source told Malaysia
Chronicle
Malaysian authorities have declared
two villages Kampung Tanjung Batu and Tanjung Labian ‘red zone’ areas. They
began relocating some 150 residents late on Sunday night to a nearby community
hall. The 2 villages are near to Kampung Tanduo, the centre of the standoff
between security forces and the armed Sulu group here.
Protest in Manila against
M'sian attack
Meanwhile, the leader of the armed
Azzimudie Kiram confirmed during an interview with ABS-CBN's dzMM radio that
Malaysian forces were using fighter jets in the latest attack against them.
Azzimudie also expressed
disappointment that Philippines President Benigno Aquino had not made greater
efforts to seal a peaceful solution, only advising them to surrender. Azzimudie
and his men have previously vowed to stay.
"They cannot frighten us
because we are fighting for our rights – the rights of the Bangsa Sulu and in
general, the Filipinos. That is, if the Philippine government still consider us
Filipinos," said Azzimudie.
In Manila, a team of police and
journalists are gathering outside the Malaysian embassy, where a protest is
expected to be held.
