Monday, March 11, 2013

Life in the Eastern Sabah Security Command/Calls for unity from not the usual suspects

LATEST: The so-called "special security area" in Sabah will now be known as the Eastern Sabah Security Command. Announcing this a while ago, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman said the governmnent hopes to ensure the security of the area against further terrorist acts with the least disruption to their daily lives. More details coming soon ...

Handling the hype. The following is the Editorial of last Thursday, March 7, by the Sin Chew Daily and is worth the space it is occupying on this blog. The Chinese-language daily is known to be critical of the Government of the day, sometimes excessively, if I may say so, BUT In the face of  the terrorist attack against the people of Sabah and the nation-state of Malaysia, the editors of the newspaper call for unity and stood firmly behind our armed forces and the government and criticized Malaysians who were too quick to blame others and politicize the incident.

 Farish: Sabah IS Malaysia
The other night, on VIewpoints #ntv7, Malaysia's intellectual journeyman Farish A Noor gave what I thought was some of the simplest and best political, social and historical snapshots at the whole Sulu issue [he summarizes these in Handling the Hype behind Sabah Crisis in the NST today]

Dr Farish's own personal message on the NTV7 interview (hosted by seasoned but moonlighting anchorman Hamdan KC) was emphatic: Sabah does not belong to Malaysia; Sabah IS Malaysia. This is NOT the time for blame game and politics, this is the time for Malaysians to unite. Eyes on the ball, the priority is to resolve the crisis.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein carried more or less the same message yesterday (but aimed directly at  record-breaking (in terms of police reports) Tian Chua, 'tis not the time for politics.

Which brings me to the Sin Chew editorial ...




The editorial by Sin Chew Daily

Isu tentera Sulu membawa kesedaran



Selepas pasukan polis dan pihak tentera bertahan lebih 3 minggu berhadapan dengan tentera Sulu, akhirnya pihak kita telah ambil tindakan, telah membuat serang balas di beberapa kawasan, dimana pasukan keselamatan kita telah dipastikan tidak ada yang tewas, tetapi di pihak tentera Sulu kita tidak dapat maklumat keadaan mereka. Selepas adakan pengeboman buat seketika, dalam operasi daulat, yang diutamakan membuat pembersihan di setiap kediaman mencari musuh, dan mahu pastikan bahawa saki-baki tentera musuh tidak lagi mengancam keselamatan penduduk di Sabah.



Pasukan penyerang negara adalah memberi serangan yang terbesar selepas memberi tentangan pihak kominis ketika dahulu, pertama kali pihak polis dan pasukan tentera bekerjasama lancarkan gerakan, untuk memastikan keselamtan tanah air. Perdana Menteri Najib juga berkata, pihak kerajaan tidak membenarkan mana-mana pihak menceroboh kedaulatan negera kita. Pasukan bersenjata dari selatan Filipina yang menggelarkan diri mereka sebagai tentera Sulu, pada awal bulan Februari telah menceroboh Lahad Datu, pihak kita ambil langkah berbincang, mahu perkara itu diselesaikan secara aman dan tanpa pertumpahan darah, sebaliknya pihak tentera Sulu telah serang hendap pasukan polis kita, seramai 8 orang anggota polis telah tewas, dan pihak mereka berjanji tidak mahu menyerah, sebab itu pihak tentera kita terpaksa bertindak balas, supaya dapat diselesaikan dengan segera, jika tidak kebuntuan itu tidak akan dapat diselesaikan, tetapi pihak kita tidak dapat menjangkakan berapa ramai kah bilangan pasukan musuh, ia boleh menyebabkan kelebihan tidak memihak kepada kita. Berkaitan pihak kerajaan ambil langkah yang sesuai iaitu mempertahankan hak kedaulatan negara, dapat disokong oleh semua lapisan rakyat, iaitu tidak benarkan mana-mana pihak luar mengusik kedaulatan negara kita, dan mengancam keselamatan negara kita.



Sudah tentu, dalam keadaan menggeledah dan mencari dan mengesah pihak musuh, pihak kita terpaksa berhati-hati dan ambil sikap berjaga-jaga, selain daripada telah berlaku beberapa insiden berbalahan dan akhirnya pihak tentera terpaksa ambil tindakan, dan pihak kita juga telah pun menerima pelajaran seumpama itu, selain daripada itu perpaduan dan bersatu padu dalam masyarakat semakin erat, keadaan politik lebih perlu diselami lebih dalam lagi.



Yang pertama, apabila hadapi tentera kita dan pihak polis menyerang dan membunuh tentera musuh, pihak media luar telah temu ramah keturunan Sultan Sulu Jamalul Kiram, beliau berkata mereka akan perluangkan sehingga titisan darah terakhir. Ini bermakna kita tidak boleh ambil mudah dan ambil ringan terhadap tentera Sulu, perlu berhati-hati setiap pergerakan yang dijalankan, mungkin mereka ini sedang menyorok di bumi Sabah, pada masa yang sama tentera perpisahan di Selatan Filipina akan ambil kesempatan itu lakukan serangan, mereka sedang dahaga mahukan tanah Sabah. Pada tahun lepas kerajaan Filipina telah berdamai dan adakan perjanjian damai dengan tentera pemisahan Islam Moro, kepada tentera pemisah yang tidak ambil bahagian dalam perjanjian damai tersebut, mungkin tumpuan dan sasaran mereka ialah di negeri Sabah, mereka ambil kesempatan isu ini, beri tekanan kepada kerajaan Filipina, mereka berharap dapat keuntungan dan manfaat dari pihak Malaysia pula. Contohnya tentera MILF pernah mendapat latihan dari pihak Malaysia, mereka telah menyimpan banyak senjata di dalam hutan negeri Sabah. Keadaan di Selatan Filipina amat rapat kaitannya dengan keadaan di negeri Sabah, dan punca yang paling penting juga ialah pandangan kerajaan Filipina terhadap negeri Sabah.



Yang kedua, di negeri Sabah terdapat ramai pendatang asing, orang-orang negeri Sabah sudah biasa melihat keadaan itu, ini didapati apabila tentera Sulu menceroboh Sabah, tidak lakukan tindakan segera dan agresif, dan penduduk negeri Sabah sendiri tidak nampak bahaya dan ancaman itu adalah satu fakta yang besar, seperti katak yang terendam air panas, pihak kerajaan dan rakyat Sabah tidak merasai ancaman berlaku apabila pendatang asing ke Sabah dengan jumlah yang begitu besar, pada bila-bila masa salah negara akan terancam dengan lambakan ratusan ribu orang asing. Kes tentera Sulu sebagi satu amaran, kita perlu ambil perhatian bahawa kita jangan terlalu berharapkan buruh asing yang begitu tinggi, dan kita juga perlu ambil perhatian serius kenapa orang asing dengan mudah boleh dapat kerakyatan negara ini, supaya tidak berlaku kebocoran-kebocoran yang lebih besar, dan susah untuk diambil tindakan.



Yang ketiga, oleh kerana selama ini pihak kerajaan menangani tentera Sulu dengan sikap keharmoniaan dan kelonggaran, sehingga pasukan polis tewas, pihak kerajaan dituduh lemah, kenapa tidak lebih awal hapuskan pihak musuh. Sebenarnya kita kena faham, tindakan pihak tentera adalah keputusan yang paling terakhir, di bawah perjanjian Geneva, tindakan tentera bersenjata perlu mengikut peraturan yang telah digariskan, barulah boleh dijalankan, kebocoran dan kelonggaran pengawasan di persisiran pantai Sabah, sebab itu boleh berlaku perkara seumpama itu, rakyat perlu memperlajari secara rasional untuk memutuskan pengetahuan am terhadap apa yang berlaku di sekitarnya isu dalam negeri dan luar negara, dan pihak kerajaan pula perlu telus dan jelas apabila mahu membuat sesuatu keputusan, supaya rakyat lebih yakin supaya dapat sokongan ramai. Kepentingan negara perlu letak di barisan hadapan, mana mana hujah dan padangan yang dilontarkan itu termasuk isu politik, ia hanya akan menambahkan kerumitan dan masalah sahaja.



Akhir sekali, dalam keadaan bertentangan dalam politik, negera telah terbahagi kepada persengkataan yang jelas dalam keadaan permusuhan sesama sendiri, kes ini juga telah membongkar asal usul sejarah negara kita, kesedaran kaum dan semangat perpaduan perlu diselidik lebih agresif lagi, barulah kita akan dapat rasai kewujudan negara ini dan ia akan memberi makna yang lebih besar lagi.


11 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:22 pm

    RB,
    In the USA, when men in uniform are in action, either for national or public security, safety and health; all political parties, organizations and individuals; gives full support and fell proud.

    For example at the airport, the gate or flight assistance will announce to passengers of a man in uniform in the flight, everybody raise and applaud. I am not American, but when seeing this I'm touched.

    I wish this is happening in my Malaysia.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What happened in Sabah is a wake up call for all of us, including those who blindly support the opposition, to appreciate the peace and harmony which we enjoyed and previously took for granted. Hopefully there will be no more vilifying of our security agencies during opposition 's rallies. Hopefully the opposition will also no longer teach their young supporters that it's ok to break the law and assault our policemen during such rallies.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:36 pm

    It's interesting to watch and read the "media spin" that this issue is being given in Malaysia.

    But, if one monitors what the Philippines media are saying and reporting on this (check out the Manila Times website, for example), different interpretations and slants are apparent.

    I suppose each side has to try and "spin" the "psy war" to it's advantage. Nothing surprising there.

    I note that the Singapore media have been factual and objective in reporting on this issue.

    And, if I remember right, Farish Noor was interviewed on this issue on Singapore's Channel NewsAsia very recently.

    Was that interview, and what he said then, reported in the Malaysian mainstream media?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Morty1:55 pm

    Malaysian Chinese got a lot of business interest in Sabah. They rear prawn, fish, plant oil palm, timber and a host of other things. These are massive scale businesses.

    Of course if Sabah were to fall into the Filipinos, you think the phillippine government would've given them the same treatment?

    First thing they'll do is to void all the agreements under Malaysia government and give them to the Suluks just to keep their mouth shut. And those who claim the Sulu Sultanate throne will have a rotation to the Sultan post.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous7:41 pm

    Bru

    Please read the Manila Times editorial "Let Malaysia be warned" that was published in the paper on March 10, 2013.

    The editorial has even mentioned the possibility of an Abu Sayyaf-led force waging acts of terrorism in Malaysia, using the justification of supporting their Suluk brethren.

    So, Bru - are you still saying that everything is hunky-dory in Sabah?

    Btw, you should read what the Manila Times has to say about Mahathir, Anwar and "Project IC".

    There's a propaganda and psy war being waged between the Malaysian and Philippines main stream media and by the bloggers on either side.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11:22 pm

    Kiram is so stupid that the harmonious of Sulu in Sabah is at stake. Kiram action show that how unintelligent he was...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous9:15 am

    what's a journeyman ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:36 pm

      A reliable person but not outstanding.
      Hmm, come to think of it, in Malaysia we have a very outstanding figure but very unreliable. I think we can name him the sinkingman.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous10:42 am


    Off-topic but enormously important.

    http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/03/11/the-real-story-of-anwar%E2%80%99s-sodomy-2-part-1/

    happy reading

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous11:50 am

    This:

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/malaysia-america-and-china-compete-for-economic-and-political-influence/5324269

    has a direct bearing with regard to your MOLE article here:

    http://mole.my/content/us-saudi-involvement-suspected-lahad-datu-crisis

    Remember too, that a local Opposition personality's links with the Wahhabis via the Muslim Brotherhood has been well documented since those heady ABIM years

    also this as an addendum:

    http://www.presstv.ir/detail/292512.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous1:24 pm

    It's puzzling how reports in the Philippines mainstream media are painting a different picture.

    For example, check out the reports in The Manila Times (www.manilatimes. net).

    It seems that the Kirams are having meetings with senior members of the Aquino administration, and that other Filipino Muslim movements are getting involved.

    Why are these not reported in the Malaysian mainstream media?

    Have we given up all pretensions to "fair and balanced reporting"?

    ReplyDelete