IGP: Another militant killed, Sulu death toll now 53

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Another Sulu gunman was shot dead this morning by Malaysian security forces, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Ismail Omar said today, as the armed conflict in Sabah’s Lahad Datu district entered its 28th day.

According to The Star Online, Ismail said the gunman was killed in a shootout at about 8am as he attempted to slip through a tight security blockade in Kampung Tanjung Batu.

But the IGP admitted that there was no sign yet of Agbimuddin Kiram, the brother of self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III who led the armed rebel group to Sabah on February 9.

“We believe they were trying to avoid security forces by moving between both villages,” he was quoted as saying, referring to Kampung Tanjung Batu and Kampung Tanduo.

Ismail added that the remaining members of Agbimuddin’s group were thought to be moving about in pairs or in small units.

Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin explained that following Tuesday’s aerial attacks by Malaysia’s air force, the group of gunmen managed to escape from Kampng Tanduo to Kampung Tanjung Batu due to the rugged terrain, The Star Online reported.

Malaysia launched an all-out assault on the Sulu group on Tuesday morning, using fighter jets to rain down heavy artillery fire and bombs on the now-beleaguered Kampung Tanduo where the men were hiding.

After the air strike, ground troops moved in for the “mopping up” operations, going from door-to-door and advancing slowly over the uneven terrain surrounding the coastal village to hunt down the armed militants.

 Despite reports of the rising number of Sulu deaths, however, the Kiram clan said yesterday it only believes that 10 of its men have fallen, suggesting the use of propaganda by Malaysia to claim success over its counterattack on the Filipinos.

Spokesman Abraham Idjirani said the family wants Malaysia to permit foreign journalists, including those from the Philippines, to enter the conflict zone in Lahad Datu, Sabah, to confirm the Sulu death toll.

“You must allow the foreign and local media into the conflict areas to verify their claims. Until that is done, everything is subject to debate,” he was quoted in The Philippine Star as saying yesterday.

Idjirani, who was speaking on behalf of Jamalul, said information received from Agbimuddin confirmed that only 10 of the “royal” Sulu army have been killed since Malaysia launched attacks last Friday.

“We call it the March 1 Massacre,” he was quoted in Philippine network ABN-CBS News as saying.
In an ABN-CBS News broadcast yesterday, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said the government was still trying to verify the number of Filipino casualties in Sabah, saying they could only rely on information offered to them by the Malaysian authorities.

Agbimuddin last contacted his family in the Philippines at 2.30pm yesterday, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, saying he and his men were still alive and on the run but were suffering from hunger.

The daily reported Agbimuddin as saying that his forces have regrouped and have successfully been evading the relentless assault by Malaysian security forces, who are still advancing on them slowly in the rugged terrain.

“They are constantly moving, not by boat, not by any means of transportation but by themselves.… They are on foot.… They are suffering from hunger,” Idjirani was quoted as saying.

Anwar rebukes Pakatan members for fighting over seats

GEORGE TOWN, March 9 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim issued a stern reprimand today to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) members for publicly tussling over seats and issuing “threats” to their party comrades when their demands are not met.

“This is shallow minded and not looking at the big picture,” the opposition leader said in his speech at the Penang PR state convention in Komtar here.

He said grassroots members could ask for seats, even demand for seats, but it was wrong for them to issue threats to get seats.

“Don’t sacrifice PR’s principles just because of this tussling for seats in one or two areas,” the PKR de facto leader said.

He said so far all this public dissent was among the grassroots members while the top leadership of PKR, the DAP and PAS did not have any problems.

Anwar said his relationship with PAS was like among good friends with the same goal of strengthening Islam in the country.

“As for DAP, Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng are like my family,” he said.

The former deputy prime minister said PR may not be perfect and it had its weaknesses.
“We can only appeal to God to help us improve,” he said.
The state convention saw about 200 delegates from the three parties attending the half-day event.

40pc of PAS election candidates young people, says Youth chief

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Forty per cent of the PAS candidates for the next general election will be young people, said PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi.

He said the names of the candidates, drawn from the Youth, women’s and ulama wings, had been sent to the PAS central committee.

“We (the Youth machinery) are 99 per cent ready. The young candidates have been identified and have started campaigning in their respective constituencies,” he told reporters here.

Nasrudin said PAS Youth felt that it was not necessary to postpone the general election in view of the intrusion by Sulu militants in Sabah.

“This is in accordance with the government’s statement that the situation there (in Lahad Datu) is under control. We hope this will not be cited as an excuse to postpone the general election,” he said. — Bernama

Anwar says vindicated by apology from Saiful’s dad

GEORGE TOWN, March 9 — The public apology from Saiful Bukhari Azlan’s father, Azlan Mohd Lazim, had vindicated him of the sodomy charges levelled against him, said opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“God is great, they can conspire once, twice, in 1998 and again 2008, and now the conspiracy is out in the open as revealed by Azlan,” he told the crowd of almost 10,000 at Pakatan Rakyat’s fifth anniversary rally at Esplanade here last night.

“I have always maintained my innocence for the first case as well as last year’s case. The court also freed me of the charge last year,” he said.

The PKR chief said the confession by Saiful’s father has revealed the conspiracy against him.
He also credited “the power of prayer” for allowing the truth to prevail.

Later, at a press conference, the former deputy prime minister said he was thankful that Azlan had came forward with the truth and shed light on the conspiracy.

Azlan had revealed in a press conference yesterday that his son was used by unnamed quarters, including an officer from the Prime Minister’s Department, to defame Anwar with sodomy charges.

The 60-year-old had claimed that all media statements by him and Saiful had been prepared by a special officer in the Prime Minister’s Department together with a lawyer.

On January 9 last year, the High Court acquitted and discharged Anwar of sodomising Mohd Saiful, 27, at a Desa Damansara condominium unit in Bukit Damansara here between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

Anwar, 65, was charged under section 377B of the Penal Code, which carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers filed an appeal against the decision and the Court of Appeal is scheduled to hear the case on July 22.