By : STEVE YAMAN
THE PRIME Minister and other
relevant ministers must immediately answer for the current drama in Lahad Datu.
It is totally unacceptable for the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to take a
dilly-dally attitude following the intrusion of “armed men” from the
Philippines.
The BN government’s “gentle
approach” would certainly backfire because it looks like a tactical strategy to
scare Sabahans into voting for them in the 13th General Election.
Under the Laws of Malaysia
Act 37 Firearms (increased Penalties) Act 1971 – Incorporating all amendments
up to 1 January 2006, “unlawful possession of firearms” in contravention of the
Arms Act 1960 is punishable by death penalty, imprisonment for life, or 10 to
14 years imprisonment with whipping with not less than six strokes of the
rattan depending on the case.
In the Lahad Datu case, as
reported in the media, hundred of armed militants (with heavy automatic weapons
such M14, M16, M203, etc) have encroached into the Sabah soil.
Is this not considered a
very serious violation of Firearm Law of Malaysia? If so, why are these
militants allowed to negotiate instead of being told to immediately drop their
arms and surrender when they were already being surrounded?
This is a totally lame
approach by the BN government to protect the national dignity and sovereignty.
It just shows BN’s complete weakness in handling a serious emergency situation
of an insurgence into our land. The action of the BN government should have
been swift and decisive to demonstrate our security forces strength and power.
How can a small bunch of
militants from a defunct ceremonial Sulu Sultanage bully our security forces
into negotiating with them? The Sulu Sultanage cannot even claim any part of
the Philippines as their ancestral kingdom separate from the Republic of the
Philippines let alone have an army large enough to invade Sabah. Would they be
powerful enough to stage a war to enforce their claim on Sabah?
The twist of this whole
episode or fiasco is leaning towards widespread rumors that the BN government’s
“no-bloodshed strategy” could be a tactic to counter the growing political
uncertainties for BN in Sabah. The negotiation is going on for far too long and
is looking “too fishy”.
The patience of local
villagers barred from entering the cordoned-off areas to go in and out of their
homes, to carry out their daily routine and economic activities are now running
very thin. It has also not helped that the details of the so-called
“negotiations” have been withheld from the public knowledge, with the
mainstream media mainly controlled by the BN government “advised” to downplay
the issue.
With not much news on the
daily development, most Sabahans and Malaysians have been forced to search the
internet online news and portals, tweets and social media for updates on the
intrusions, leaving many people to spin their own theories and grapevines on
the issues and the government’s mishandling of the situation because not even a
single shot is fired.
This present incident is in
contrast to the tragic incident in September 1985 when armed men dressed in
military fatigues fired randomly at the public and killed 11 people and injured
several others before robbing RM200,000 from a Standard Chartered Bank branch
and Malaysia Airlines office in Lahad Datu.
A group of people led by DAP
national adviser, Lim Kit Siang, with the DAP Sabah adviser cum KKMP Dr Hiew
King Cheu and State Chairman Jimmy Wong visited Lahad Datu near to the “stand-off”
area to personally gauge the situation and to get an update of the latest feel
on the grounds.
They were very surprised to
note that, according to the reporters who have been on site since the beginning
of the incident and the villagers, nothing much had happened and the daily
activities have been normal. So, what is the fuss all about?
If there are “intruders”,
get them to surrender and lay down their “arms”. They should be arrested, put
behind bars and charged under the Malaysian law for entering Malaysia with
deadly weapons.
The government has spent
billions of Ringgit to properly equip the Malaysian army, navy, air-force and
police with the weapons, armored vehicles, helicopters, fighter planes,
warships and submarines to protect our country. How is it that a few hundred
militants from a neighboring country cannot be captured, arrested, deported or
chased away immediately? Why have negotiations to be held and our government
being held ransom?
It is a blatant display of a
very weak and indecisive BN government. This government action further
elaborates the issue of millions of illegal immigrants who have entered Sabah
and Malaysia that were later instantly given Malaysian identity cards or MyKad,
allowed to vote and given the right to own native land. There is no excuse at
all and the handling style is totally unacceptable. In this instance, our
government should have been very firm and authoritative.
How can the Home Minister
Hishammuddin say that that the “situation is under control” and that they were
“dealing” with it? The only way to silence the critics is to deal with the
situation with utmost urgency and swiftly. Otherwise, the Prime Minister, the
Deputy Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Defense Minister should all
step down.
In fact by now the Prime
Minister should already have dissolved Parliament and give the people a chance
to go to the polls and show their mandate on who should be the next national
government at the 13th General Election – Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat.
The theory of an
opportunistic tactic by BN in view of its sinking popularity in Sabah could be
true. Sabah is BN “Fixed Deposit” and the “wind of change” seems to be blowing
hard against BN in the “Land below the Wind”.
If this is true then the
fixed deposit has been withdrawn or has expired. With it being withdrawn or
expired, BN has to find a way to get the “Fixed Deposit” back. But how can BN
deposit for Sabah when about one trillion Ringgit Malaysia had already been
illegally siphoned out of Malaysia in the last 10 years according to Global
Financial Integrity (GFI)?
Is this the end of the road
for BN? Problems after problems are surfacing and unsolved in almost every
thinkable area. More and more bones are falling off from the closet and all the
rubbish swept under the carpet is beginning to build up into a mountain.
Malaysia is becoming “famous” for the wrong reasons. The government’s approach
to the latest “siege” is “stupid and unreasonable”.
The Prime Minister had just
signed an election integrity pledge for a clean and fair election. The BN
government had been well known for corrupt and unfair practices for many
decades and the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) hearings had reveal the
blatant truth. How can the Prime Minister expect the Malaysians to believe his
election integrity pledge?
In Sabah, in the past, it
was “tukar baju” from UPKO to USNO, Berjaya, PBS and UMNO – all comrades in
arms for BN. But now, it is - Tukar, Ubah, Ini Kali Lah!
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