Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has rejected a self-styled Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III`s offer of a unilateral ceasefire, warning him to surrender or face a military crackdown.
Sulu militants must lay down arms and surrender unconditionally and operations against them "will go on as long as it takes", Najib said at a press conference on Thursday.
The 74-year-old Jamalul claims he is the head of the Islamic Sultanate of Sulu, which once controlled parts of Borneo including the site of the stand-off, as well as southern Philippine islands.
"Sabah is a part of Malaysia and in the Cobbold Commission, more than two-thirds of the people in the state voiced their intention to be part of this nation (in 1963)," Najib stressed as he had closer look at the offensive against the Sulu gunmen, which entered its third day yesterday.
"So the question about Sabah being part of Malaysia cannot be disputed by anyone inside or outside this country. And we will defend this position," he said.
Meanwhile, the fate of Sulu armed group leader Azzimudie Kiram remained unknown as Malaysian elite military and police teams entered into the final stage of search and mopping up operations at two villages today.
Azzimudie, the brother of Jamalul, has failed to contact the Kiram family in Manila for the past two days and security forces expect to know what happened to him in a day or two.
The so-called Royal Sulu Army general identified as Haji Musa was among the some 30 gunmen killed in a shootout at Kampung Tanjung Batu on Wednesday.
Malaysian security forces launched an all-out offensive against the intruders on Tuesday, after a stand-off that began on February 9 by the armed intruders from southern Philippines who were supporters of an erstwhile Muslim Sultan and were laying claim to the sprawling territory where they were holed up saying it belonged to their royal heritage.
The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for an end to the violence in Sabah and asked for dialogue among all the parties involved for a peaceful resolution.
Malaysian security forces on Tuesday launched an air strike using F-18 and Hawk fighter jets in the first operation to end the intrusion by Filipino gunmen who have holed up in Lahad Datu, Sabah since February 12.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has filed a 100 million ringgit suit against a local TV station over reports alleging he had links to Lahad Datu intrusion.
Yesterday, he told Radyo Inquirer 990AM that the presence of insurgents was "unacceptable" and blamed the local mainstream media for spinning the issue.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.