Get the facts right!

If one has no idea of who and what is VAT69, you don't know history and should have done your research before questioning why allow police to handle first and not the army. 

The answer to several other issues raised and hurled by the public and rudely expressed by opposition cybertroopers on the intrusion by the so-called Royal Army of Sulu was addressed in yesterday's posting [read here]. Strange that some opposition members support Sulu Sultanate claim on Sabah.

There is an excellent posting done with academic references by blog Andak Jauhar. The posting is in Malay, so those Malaysians can go and read it here.

For the rest, including Malaysian incapable of reading the national language because there are those that secured their citizenship by corrupting NRD officers as revealed in the Sabah RCI and use political pressure through demonstrations despite do not qualify, there will be a translated English version.

Our word to those propagandist and opposition cybertroopers working on over time to ridicule our boys that is defending the country against intruders. Don't just shoot your fuc&!^g @$$  mouth and think your arguments make sense and are smart. 

They are not. So, get your fuc&!^g facts right first!

1.Whoare the Intruders?
 

The group that invaded claimed themselves as the army to the Sultanate of Sulu(The RoyalSuluSultanateArmy)1 came from SouthernPhilippinesandconsist of an estimated 200-400people,with20-100of them armed2.

The group is ledby one claiming to be Raja MudaAgbimuddinKiram,the younger brother ofthe claimed former SultanJamalulKiramIIIandthe SultanIsmaelKiramII3,4.JamalulKiramIII ran for the officeof Senatopr in the Phillipines election.


2. Does the Intruding Grouprepresent the Sulu Sultanate?

No.



The Philippine governmentstoppedrecognizing theSultanof Sulusincethe death of SultanMohd. MahakuttahA.Kiramin 1986.  

The coronationceremony. of the Mohd. MahakuttahA.Kiramasthe Sultan of Suluin 1974.Seen walking towards the Sultan is his son,MuedzulLailTanKiram, whowas appointed as sucessor Raja Muda. The intruding group is the followers of IsmaelKiramII, who had neverbeen installed as theSultanof Sulu, twhowas recognizedby the Philippine government.

Nowthere are twomainpartiesclaiming to bethe Sultan of Sulu:

First, MuedzulLailTanKiram, son of the lastSultan of Sulurecognizedby the Philippine government, the Sultan Mohd. MahakuttahA.Kiram. He was appointedasthe Regent ofthecoronationdayof his fatherassultan.

Second, IsmaelKiramII, the brother ofthe one leading the invasion, Raja Muda AgbimuddinKiram.



4.Isthe Philippines making claim on Sabah?

Yes.

Philippineclaimon Sabahbecause the Sultanate of Sulu, which is based in the Philippines, have the rights on Sabah. 

Justice Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairsand theOffice of thePresident of the Philippineshas directedto conduct a studyonthe Sultanate of SuluclaimagainstSabah.5

5. Can Malaysia makeclaimsagainst territoryof Philippinesifthe Sulu Sultanate make Sabahas it's administration centre?

Sabahhas never beenthe center ofthe Sulu Sultanate.

In fact, Sabah is considered as lessimportantbythe Sultanate of Suluthat it was cededto the BritishNorthBorneo CompanyonJanuary 22, 1878.
 

SultanPalace at administrationcentre inMaimbung,Jolo.'The Sultanate ofSulu' does not haveanypoliticalpowerinJolobutwant to claimpoliticalpower on the state of Sabah.

Sultanate of Suluis located in thecenterMaimbung,Jolo.


6.Areparty/ies in Malaysia supporting the SuluSultanate claim onSabah?

Therepresentative of theManilaTimesinMindanao, Al Jacinto,reported that the intrusions by Royal Army of Sultanate of Sulu'occurswhenDatukSeriAnwar Ibrahim, the leader ofthe People's Alliance, suggested thatSabahwas given powerof autonomy.6

A Philippine military officer interviewed by Reuters also said the men were followers of the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu – an island group off the southern Philippines – who had been invited to Sabah by a Malaysian opposition politician to discuss land issues.7

Who is the one who gave it?8

7.Did Malaysia pay rent to Philippines for Sabah?

No.

Malaysiapays only 'cessionmoney' of USD5, 000 peryearto theheirs of the Sultanof Sulu. The 'cession money'is the cession paymentand not payment of rent.  


Other than Sabah, there are other regionsin the worldthat paid cessation fee. For example:

1. Louisiana wasceded to theUnited Statesby France for a sum ofUSD15million, orapproximatelyUSD0.03per acre.
2. Alaska was ceded to the United States ,cededbyRussiato theUnited Stateswithpayment ofUSD7.2million, orUSD0.02per acre.

8.What territory do the Sulu Sultanate have right to?

Royal House ofSulu9, the official website of MuedzulLailTanKiram, claimed thatthe territories in which the Sulu Sultanate have rights over include Jolo, Palawan, ZamboangaPeninsula, BasilanandTawi-Tawiin the Philippines, as well as SabahandBalambanganIslandinMalaysia. They claimed the Sulu Sultanate have rights over the SpratlyIslands.

Jolo, BasilanandTawi-Tawi is currently under the administrative region ofthe Philippinescalled Autonomous Regionin MuslimMindanao (ARMM). The proposal was to place the new autonomous region of ARMM under the Bangsamoro.

9. DoesPhillipines recognise the Sulu Sultanate?

No.

The last timethe Philippine governmentrecognised theSultanof Suluwas onMay 24, 1974. It was  when thethen President of the Philippines, FerdinandMarcos,issued a MemorandumOrder No.427 to install Mohd. MahakuttahA.KiramasSultan.
 

Sincethe death of SultanMohd. MahakuttahA.Kiram, the Philippine government did not recognize anyindividualas theSultanof Sulu.

10. Does it imply that Philippines is manipulating the Sulu Sultanate to claim Sabah?
  
Philippines reportedly has started 'Operation Merdeka' in 1967, a military operation to train troops and commandos of the Tausug and Sama ethnic Muslim to create instability and chaos in Sabah. However, as soon as it was known that the operation was to fight against a government led by Muslims, ethnic Tausug and Sama trainees demanded to return. However, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had allegedly shot and killed the trainees. It was reported that 11 to 64 people were shot dead. This incident is known as the Massacre of Jabidah) or Corregidor Massacre. 

William Larousse10, Michael Leifer11, Andrew T. H. Tan12 and Alfred W. McCoy13 are among the authors that wrote of this incident. 

11. What is the chances of the Philippines claim on Sabah should the case be brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)? 

Slim.

First, the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu received 'cession money' until today. This means that the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu acknowledge that Sabah was ceded rather than leased to the British North Borneo Company. 

Second, the Philippine government stopped recognizing the Sultan of Sulu since the death of Sultan Mohd. Mahakuttah A. Kiram in 1986. 

Grant of a lease that become a source of conflict has been signed by the Sultan of Sulu, Sultan Jamalul that was drawn up by Gustavus Baron de Overbeck and Alfred Dent, representing the British North Borneo Company, on January 22, 1878.

Third, grant leases signed between the British North Borneo Company and the Sultanate of Sulu was overruled by the Madrid Protocol of 1885.Spain, which controls the provinces of Sulu Sultanate of the time, had signed an agreement with Germany and Great Britain on March 7, 1885 for the release of all claims against the sovereignty of Sabah:

The Spanish Government relinquishes as far as regards the British Government, all claim of sovereignty over the territories of the continent of Borneo which belong, or which have belonged in the past, to the Sultan of Sulu (Jolo), including therein the neighboring islands of Balambangan, Banguey and Malawali, as well as all those islands lying within a zone of three marine leagues along the coasts and which form part of the territories administered by the Company styled the ‘British North Borneo Company’.

Fourth, the Sulu Sultanate is considered to have been terminated as soon as the Sultan Jamalul Kiram II signed Carpenter Agreement on March 22, 1915 in which he surrendered all his political power to the United States. 

Fifth, the Malaysian government have taken the responsibility to develop the infrastructure for the benefit of the people of Sabah since 1963 without any opposition from the Sulu Sultanate and Government of Philippines. This proves for the peaceful possession and continuous administration by the Government of Malaysia on Sabah. 

According to the principle of "Effectivites" that will be taken account by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Malaysia will be awarded Sabah based on the similar principle in the case of Malaysia's successful claim over the Islands of Sipadan and Ligitan. 

Sixth, the Cobbold Commission report issued on 1 August 1962 found that 1/3 the people of Sabah and Sarawak strongly support the formation of Malaysia, 1/3 also support the rights of Malaysia provided their rights are protected, while the remaining 1/3 was divided between wanting independence and  continue under British administration.

Seventh, the UN Secretary General, U Thant reported in 1963 that the people of Sabah "wish to bring their dependent status to an end and to realise their independence through freely chosen association with other peoples in their region”15.

Eighth, if the Sulu Sultanate claimed that Sabah belong to them, then it is to be consistent for the Sulu Sultanate to not only make a claim on Sabah but also claim and control their own administrative centers in Jolo, Palawan province apart from reclaiming the provinces they claim as their of Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi from the  Philippines. 

However, the Sultanate of Sulu does not have any political power over the provinces located in the Philippines.

More to come on Phillipines claim on Sabah.