Kiram claims 8 accused Sulu gunmen are Malaysians

March 23, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — The Kiram clan has disowned the eight charged with intrusion into Sabah as Malaysians and not Filipinos, saying that two of those accused had actually died in a clash with Malaysian security forces.
Self-styled Sultan Jamalul Kiram III’s spokesman Abraham Idjirani had told the Philippines media the sultanate learned about the “fall guys” from a source in Sabah.
Handout file photo of Malaysian soldiers moving into Kampung Tanduo to engage the armed Filipino intruders in Lahad Datu on March 5, 2013. — Reuters pic“Have the Malaysians resurrected the two RSF men?” Idjirani asked, using the shorthand for the “Royal Security Forces” of the Sulu sultanate.
“Our basis for saying that they are not Filipinos is that our source from Sabah called us to say they are Malaysians. They are not Filipinos,” he was quoted as saying by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
“To confirm this, they (Malaysian authorities) should divulge where they were caught. If they were caught outside Lahad Datu, they were [Malaysian] civilians,” he said.
“They were set up to make Filipinos afraid, because Malaysian security forces have become abusive because of their Internal Security Act,” Idjirani added.
He identified the two accused who were dead in his records as Holland (spelled “Holan” by Idjirani) Kalbi and Lin Mad Salleh (spelled “Ling Mad Salli” by Idjirani).
Idjirani said Kalbi and Salleh were among Jamalul’s followers who were killed in the March 1 “massacre” in Tanduo village in Lahad Datu town.
He was referring to the police assault on Sulu intruders in which 18, not 10, of Jamalul’s followers were killed.
But the Philippine daily quoted Syarulnizam Salleh, chair of the human rights subcommittee of the Sabah Lawyers Association (SLA), as saying the eight charged with launching terroristic acts and waging war were Filipinos.
Syarulnizam told the newspaper that he learned about the nationality of the eight men during his meeting with Malaysian Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail on Thursday night.
However, the SLA posted on its website that Malaysian authorities had arrested not only Filipinos but also Malaysians in the security operations to end the intrusion by followers of the claimant to the Sulu throne.
The Malaysian authorities have arrested 108 people suspected of links to the Sulu group led by Jamalul’s brother, Agbimuddin Kiram.
The eight alleged followers of Jamalul faced judge P. Ravinthran of the Tawau High Court on Thursday on the charges brought by the Malaysian authorities against them the day before.
Kalbi, Salleh, Habil Suhaili and Timhar Hadir are accused of launching acts of terrorism in Sabah. They face life imprisonment on conviction.
Atik Hussein Abu Bakar and Basad H. Manuel are accused of terrorism as well as waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. If convicted, they will be sentenced to death.
Kadir Uyung and Lating Tiong are accused of harbouring a terrorist group, and face life imprisonment. They were arrested in Tanjung Labian on March 4, a day before the Malaysian military launched air and ground operations to crush Agbimuddin’s group.
No plea was entered for the eight accused following an application by Gani, who led the team of prosecutors. The case will begin on April 12.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur said it welcomed Gani’s assurance that the eight Filipinos would be given legal assistance.
The embassy and the SLA’s Syarulnizam said they were co-ordinating with each other for legal representation for the accused.

Source themalaysianinsider