On Feb 11, 2013, the nation was rocked by news that broke late into the night about the eastern shores of Sabah being invaded by a group of armed men.
The group, comprising over a hundred people, was quickly identified to be followers of self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III. They were led by Jamalul's brother Agbimuddin Kiram.
Hailing from Pulau Simunul of Tawi-Tawi in the southern Philippines, the group first entered Malaysian waters by boat on Feb 9 and gathered in stages at Felda Sahabat 17 in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, as a means of ‘reclaiming’ part of Borneo as their ancestral land. This forced some eighty locals to flee from 15 homes.
Upon being discovered by fishermen, the Filipino rebels broke into smaller groups and entered several locations in the village, including Kampung Sungai Bakau.
On Feb 14, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the Malaysian government would negotiate with the group before ousting them from the area. Then Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said negotiations with the group were in progress to find the best solution without bloodshed.
Two days later, then Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein made a statement that played down the situation; the group merely comprised ‘malnourished’ and elderly men in sarongs and slippers, mostly unarmed, he said.
The tussle between Malaysia and the Philippines over Sabah had been a long-standing one. The Suluks wanted Sabah to be returned to them, claiming it was seized by the British from their government. But Malaysia had always rejected the Philippine's territorial claim to Sabah as it deemed that Sabah residents had exercised their right to self-determination when they voted to join the Malaysian federation in 1963.
The Sulu sultanate also lost their rights in the Madrid protocol of 1885 when their predecessors Spain relinquished all their claims to Sabah, giving all control to Malaysia’s predecessors, the British.
However, it was subsequently learnt that the Malaysian Embassy in the Philippines were issuing cheques for RM5,300 to the legal counsel of the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu in keeping with the terms of an 1887 agreement. While Malaysia considered it as annual cession payment for the disputed state, the sultan’s descendants considered it as “rent”.
Many then called for the Malaysian government to reduce or stop the cession payment altogether, including former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and opposition lawyer Karpal Singh.
The first shootout between Malaysian security forces and the small group of Filipino rebels broke out on March 1 when the latter tried to break a police blockade in Kampung Tanduo. Najib confirmed that the event had left two police commandos dead while Sabah police commissioner, Datuk Hamza Taib, confirmed that 12 of Kiram’s followers were killed.
At this juncture, the Philippines government seemed to totally leave the fate of the royal Sulu army in the hands of the Malaysian security forces.
In the early hours of March 3, a group of Filipino gunmen, believed to be less than 10, ambushed the police in a village in Semporna, Sabah. The media reported that six Malaysian police officers and seven assailants were killed. It was also reported that four of the policemen had their bodies mutilated, with one beheaded.
On March 5, three F-18 and five Hawk aircraft filled the Kampung Tanduo skies in an airstrike against the Filipino rebels at dawn in an effort to flush them out. Thirteen of the Sulu gunmen were killed in the process. The deaths were confirmed by then Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Codenamed Ops Daulat, the ‘mopping up’ stage also saw ground troops going door-to-door to sniff out the intruders. However, none were caught.
Kampung Tanduo was finally secured by Malaysian forces on March 11, with the bodies of 22 Sulu gunmen recovered. Despite the deaths, the Kiram family insisted that its army stay put in Sabah and not surrender.
Between March 20 and April 1, 15 Filipino nationals were charged in court over the incursion – eight of them in the Tawau High Court while the rest in the Lahad Datu Magistrate’s Court.
A Malaysian Special Branch officer, Corporal Hassa Ali Basari, was also charged and convicted for intentionally refraining from disclosing information on terrorist acts by the Sulu gunmen in Lahad Datu.
Ops Daulat ended on June 29 when it was replaced by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM). The body is now responsible for security arrangements in the area, covering all operations from northern Kudat to south-eastern Tawau. This is to ensure that Sabah’s eastern sea borders remain safe. A 24-hour ESSCOM operations room was also announced on Aug 12.
The Lahad Datu standoff reportedly saw a total of 68 deaths – 56 from the Sulu sultanate, nine from the Malaysian authorities and six civilians.
Najiah Najib
Sun Dec 29 2013
Dua warga AS antara yang ditemui maut di hotel Thailand
Menurut polis Thailand, kesemua mangsa adalah berketurunan Vietnam, dengan dua daripadanya membawa pasport AS.
AWANI Pagi: Berita tumpuan & menarik di astroawani.com [17 Julai 2024]
[LANGSUNG] Fokus #AWANIpagi 17 Julai 2024 7.30 pagi,
Antara fokus Awani Pagi bersama Nursyazwani Saiful Sham & Azib Zikry
1. Keluarga Nur Farah Kartini mohon henti keluar kenyataan guris hati
2. Kim Pan-gon akui akan rindui sokongan rakyat Malaysia
3. Astro penyiar rasmi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024
Antara fokus Awani Pagi bersama Nursyazwani Saiful Sham & Azib Zikry
1. Keluarga Nur Farah Kartini mohon henti keluar kenyataan guris hati
2. Kim Pan-gon akui akan rindui sokongan rakyat Malaysia
3. Astro penyiar rasmi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024
Langkah menoktahkan kemiskinan tegar di Sabah antara tumpuan Dewan Rakyat
Ahli Parlimen Kinabatangan, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin meminta Menteri Ekonomi menyatakan langkah tersebut pada sesi jawab lisan.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta pastikan kemampanan sektor air
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air.
[INFOGRAFIK] Tarikh-tarikh penting Istiadat Pertabalan Yang Di-Pertuan Agong ke-17
Berikut adalah info berkenaan dengan tarikh-tarikh penting Istiadat Pertabalan Yang Di-Pertuan Agong ke-17
Menendez didapati bersalah ke atas 16 pertuduhan rasuah
Juri di Mahkamah Persekutuan Manhattan membacakan keputusannya pada Selasa selepas berbincang selama lebih 12 jam selama tiga hari.
Tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram - CAP
CAP menggesa Lembaga Racun Makhluk Perosak segera mengambil tindakan keras terhadap penjualan racun makhluk perosak haram di negara ini dan menguatkuasakan dengan tegas Akta Racun Perosak 1974.
SDG: UTP lahir pelajar berkemahiran, tinggi tanggungjawab sosial
UTP berhasrat mendidik pelajar bukan sahaja untuk mahir dalam aspek teknikal tetapi juga untuk menjadi warganegara yang bertanggungjawab dari segi kemahiran dan keupayaan sosial.
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya, seperti mahkamah syariah, pegawai penguatkuasa agama dan peguam syarie.
Kerajaan teliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap
Kerajaan sedang meneliti kaedah baharu lantikan tetap bagi memastikan pengurusan kewangan negara yang lebih mampan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Wilayah Persekutuan), Dr Zaliha Mustafa berkata hasil kajian tersebut akan dibentangkan kepada Jemaah Menteri untuk pertimbangan dan kelulusan.
Anggota polis maut van dipandu dihempap pokok tumbang di Lahad Datu
Seorang anggota polis berpangkat koperal maut apabila van polis yang dipandunya dihempap pokok tumbang dalam kejadian di Felda Sahabat 16.
Dua warga Itali antara penumpang bas terbabas dalam gaung di Lahad Datu
Dua wanita warga Itali antara 19 individu yang berada di dalam sebuah bas ekspres yang terbabas ke dalam gaung di Lahad Datu malam tadi.
Bas ekspres terbabas ke dalam gaung di Lahad Datu
Sebuah bas ekspres terbabas ke dalam gaung di Batu 9 Jalan Silam malam ini.
Kes bunuh pelajar kolej vokasional: Permohonan tujuh remaja lelaki untuk diikat jamin ditolak
Hakim membuat keputusan itu selepas mendapati tiada keadaan istimewa yang mewajarkan perintah agar permohonan bagi mendapatkan jaminan mereka dibenarkan.
Tragedi kepala air Lembah Maksina: Tiga mayat ditemukan bawah kayu balak
Operasi mencari dan menyelamat dilakukan sejak malam tadi sebaik pihaknya menerima panggilan kecemasan pada jam 8.28 malam.
13 remaja lelaki didakwa bunuh pelajar kolej vokasional
Tiada sebarang pengakuan direkodkan daripada kesemua tertuduh kerana kes bunuh di bawah bidang kuasa Mahkamah Tinggi.
Pelajar maut dipukul: Keluarga minta ruang, masih terkejut
Keluarga pelajar yang maut akibat dipukul di asrama sebuah kolej di Lahad Datu, meminta diberikan ruang daripada memberi sebarang kenyataan.
Kejadian pusaran angin seperti puting beliung landa Lahad Datu
Rakaman video diambil orang awam berdurasi 22 saat itu yang tular di media sosial memaparkan zink bumbung deretan kedai diterbangkan dalam kejadian itu.
Menantu, mentua maut kereta terjunam ke dalam laut
Mangsa dikenali sebagai Edwin dan bapa mentuanya, Chan Wai Hou, ditemukan pasukan penyelamat pada kedalaman 12 meter.
Kehadiran 'sosok' anggota ESSCom beri keyakinan keselamatan penduduk di ESS Zone
Februari ini, genap 11 tahun peristiwa pencerobohan pengganas bersenjata Sulu memasuki perairan negara secara berperingkat di Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu.