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March 06, 2013
Police commandos keep watch outward Kampung Tanduo near Lahad Datu, Feb 17, 2013. Reuters picKUALA LUMPUR, Mar 6 As Malaysias troops launched air as well as belligerent assaults to flush out Filipino militants confirmed in Sabahs easterly seashore yesterday, the north Borneo states economic authority continued the campaign to coax investors there, the Financial Times (FT) reported.
Dont worry, Yaakub Johari, arch executive of the Sabah Economic Development as well as Investment Authority (SEDIA), was quoted saying.
I dont consider the going to have much impact, he pronounced of the assault raging an hour-and-a-halfs flight divided from Singapore, where an investment exhibition upon Malaysia was being held yesterday.
Yesterdays troops movement came twenty-four days after the Malaysian government unsuccessful to speak the 200-strong Filipino Muslim group, claiming ownership over Sabah, in to withdrawal the state best-known globally for the eco-tourism as well as dive sites.
The paper reported the fighting has unsettled domestic observers as well as investors, forward of inhabitant elections just weeks divided which could result in the razor-thin win for the statute Barisan Nasional coalition or the feat for the fledgling Pakatan Rakyat confederation which has never prior to run the country.
The paper highlighted Bursa Malaysia has been trailing the informal peers in new weeks as investors fretted over the choosing outcome, supporting the Bloomberg inform yesterday which the stock exchange has been the worst-performing benchmark in Asia this year.
The United States has additionally told the citizens to avoid the region, FT reported.
Johari pronounced Sabahs priority was to serve develop tourism as well as push investment for the planned palm oil industrial cluster together with refining, milling as well as ! the port at Semporna, one of 3 hotspots which has seen clashes in the past few days which claimed the lives of 6 policemen as well as 11 insurgents.
Johari reportedly admitted the assault had strike palm oil producers, who have been unable to harvest as well as marketplace their oil palm crops for the past 3 weeks given the deadlock proposed in Lahad Datu, 130km to Sempornas north.
Palm oil is one of Malaysias tip commodity exports. Sabah accounts for thirty per cent of it.
Citing CIMB marketplace analyst Ivy Ng, the paper reported her saying which every one per cent reduction in outlay could cut earnings forecasts for the big producers together with Malaysias Sime Darby as well as Felda Global Ventures Holdings by up to dual per cent.
If the disturbance escalates as well as leads to tighter security, the transportation of CPO [crude palm oil] inside of as well as outward of Sabah could be affected, even of harvesting activities continue, Ng told FT.
The paper reported Johari putting the brave face upon Sabahs prospects even as Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar told the news conference in Lahad Datu yesterday which confidence forces were still carrying out mop-up operations following the bombardment.
We are used to confronting these sorts of questions. Obviously you hope things will be pacified. The actuality is the a safe place, he told FT, when asked how assured he could be which Sabah could still lift in investors.
March 6, 2013
M Jegathesan, AFP@www.malaysiakini.com
8:36PM March 5, 2013
The infantry currently launched a fierce attack including jet fighters upon up to 300 Filipino intruders after a lethal three-week standoff, though a militants' supporters pronounced they had transient as well as were alive as well as well.
Earlier Federal Police arch had additionally raised doubts about a success of a air as well as belligerent attack, observant "mopping up" operations had nonetheless to find any bodies as well as suggesting during slightest a little of a militants competence have slipped away.
Premier Najib Abdul Razak pronounced as a raid was underneath approach that he had no preference though to unleash a infantry to end Malaysia's biggest confidence predicament in years after a interlopers refused to surrender as well as twenty-seven people were killed.
A day after a Philippines called for restraint, Malaysia launched a emergence attack upon a estimated 100-300 gunmen upon Borneo island, who invaded to explain Malaysian domain upon behalf of a former Philippine sultanate.
Fighter jets inebriated a deadlock encampment of Tanduo in Sabah state upon a northern tip of Borneo island, followed by a belligerent attack by troops. The area is set amid immeasurable oil-palm plantations.
"The longer! this in vasion lasts, it is transparent to a authorities that a invaders do not intend to leave Sabah," Najib pronounced in a statement.
But Abraham Idjirani, orator for a Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, told AFP the conflict had occurred "away from where" their organisation were, observant he spoke with a leader of a armed organisation about eight hours after a attack was launched.
IGP: Enemies have been still out there
Malaysian Federal Police arch Ismail Omar told reporters in a press conference hours after a initial conflict that soldiers combing across a far-reaching area of rocky plantation country were nonetheless to find any dead militants.
"I have educated my commanders to be upon alert since we hold a enemies have been still out there," Ismail said.
He added Malaysian forces had suffered no casualties. But if even a little of a invaders had transient a tight Police as well as infantry cordon, it would expected fuel perceptions of insufficiency by confidence forces in a affair, as well as sow fears that armed as well as dangerous gunmen were loose.
The predicament comes just as Malaysia's 56-year-old statute coalition is bracing for what have been at large expected to be a country's closest-ever election against a formidable opposition, that has cruelly criticised handling of a incursion.
Jamalul Kiram III, 74, a self-proclaimed Sultan as well as leader of a insurgents pronounced progressing Tuesday in Manila that a invaders, that had enclosed his younger hermit "will fight to a final man".
Muslim-majority Malaysia has been repelled by a spectacularly confidant stunt by a Islamists, who explain to be reporting Jamalul's genealogical control of Sabah as successor to a right a! way defu nct Sulu sultanate.
The invaders had been holed up in Tanduo encampment since alighting by vessel final month, highlighting lax Malaysian confidence in a segment as well as a stability threat from southern Philippine Islamists.
Manila blamed intruders
After a attack began, Philippine President Benigno Aquino's orator blamed a intruders for a assault. "We've finished all we could to prevent this, though in a end, Kiram's people chose this path," pronounced a spokesman, Ricky Carandang.
After a extensive standoff, violence first erupted in Tanduo upon Friday with a shootout that left twelve of a gunmen as well as dual military officers dead.
Another gunbattle Saturday in a locale of Semporna, hours divided by road, killed six Police as well as six gunmen, raising fears of a wider riotous infiltration as well as heading to Tuesday's infantry operation.
Police had already pronounced during a weekend they were sport for a organisation of "foreign" gunmen in nonetheless an additional town, though have provided no serve updates. Meanwhile, followers of Kiram, have regularly warned that nonetheless some-more militants were poised to land in Sabah.
The mayhem has triggered panic in Semporna, where many residents were witnessed by an AFP reporter journey a locale upon Monday, fearing some-more violence.
The Sulu sultanate, based in a southern Philippines' Sulu islands, once controlled parts of Borneo including Sabah.
Its energy faded about a century ago though a heirs continue to insist upon tenure of resource-rich Sabah as well as still receive nominal Malaysian payments underneath a franchise deal creatively struck by Western colonial powers.
Sabah has s! een smal l raids by Islamic militants as well as criminals coming by vessel from a Philippines before, though zero upon a current scale.
- AFP
March 6, 2013
by Mariam Mokhtar (03-04-13) @http://www.malaysiakini.com
Anyone who cares about a destiny of Malaysia should be alarmed by a relief of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as well as his cupboard about state security. He is a left-handed Prime Minister who trips from a single liaison to another. He is skilful during posturing upon a universe stage, though fails to grasp a earnest of situations during home.
During his tenure, defenceless though peaceful protestors were beaten up, as well as teenagers shot at. Like a typical class bully, Najib shies away from those who have been improved armed as well as organised.
Imagine this scenario A chairman walks in to your house, by a front door which was left open, as well as makes himself during home. Do you extend him your hospitality? What would you do if this intruder demands some-more element comforts as well as refuses to budge? Since when did we, as a nation, come to terms with invaders?
The rakyat initial registered their warning when uniformed as well as armed Sulu militants landed in Sabah. In a classic blunder of judgement, Najib refused to take a mangle from domestic campaigning, preferring instead to get a conduct start prior to officially announcing a date of GE-13.
When will a ministers put themselves in a boots of a farmers whose lives as well as livelihoods have been during risk? Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein reportedly said which a group were conjunction terrorists, nor militants. The Sultan of Sulu's wife claimed which a group were upon ! a "picni c". Days later, several group have been dead. On whose hands have been their blood?
Today, Najib must bear shortcoming for his degrading shelter as well as for his refusal to take charge of a potentially explosive situation. Does he want badly energy upon top of all else?
Another chairman who should bear some censure is former PM (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He masterminded "Project M", which gave citizenship to illegal immigrants. Like Najib, he was spooky with power.
Ironically, a modus operandi which assured a win for Mahathir as well as his celebration will in a future cause a downfall of UMNO. The foreigners who were issued with MyKads did not deserve them. The insurgents who died might have been their brothers. These MyKad holders will opinion opposite BN.
Ministers have zero utilitarian to say
The Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman as well as his brother, a equally ineffectual as well as disinterested Foreign Minister Anifah Aman whose face dominated a publicity shots during Najib's ill-advised Gaza outing recently, have small to say. Neither have you listened anything of substance from Defence Minister (Dr.) Zahid Hamidi.
Army General Zulkifli Mat Zain praised a armed intruders in observant which they had combat experience as well as were learned in rebellion tactics. The rakyat could have told him that, without any submit from a intelligence services.
Mahathir acts underneath a illusion which he still rules Malaysia, he refuses to accept a purpose which he played in! this re cent bloodbath. He justifies a government's 'softly, softly' approach since these intruders "have families as well as friends in Sabah" as well as were Muslims. He 'forgot' which these Muslim invaders have their own agenda. How unresponsive can he get? What about a Malaysian lives which were lost?
Meanwhile, Najib fails to grasp a astringency of a incursion. Media coverage has been scant as well as slanted. His cupboard has shown a audacity as well as ignorance. It is away from a sentiments as well as sensitivities of a Sabahans as well as Malaysians in general. Najib's insufficiency has played in to a hands of Sabah separatists both internal as well as external.
As a leader, Najib is increasingly isolated. As he loses carry out of a incident in Sabah, he turns to a usual bogeyman, Opposition personality Anwar Ibrahim.
Najib portrays Anwar as a supervillain a crony of Israel, Turkey, a United States as well as their Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), someone with wild sexual urges who masterminds fiscal deals, as well as who is additionally a porn star. Najib right away wants to accuse Anwar of being a designer of a invading army. What else is new?
More importantly, does a electorate unequivocally caring about Najib's perception of Anwar? Shouldn't Najib get his priorities right as well as maintain security first, rather than wasting changed resources perplexing to pin a censure upon a Opposition?
Anyone who has ever lived as well as worked in Sabah or Sarawak will know about a contemptible poverty, a miss of infrastructure, as well as a most illegal immigrants from Indonesia as well as a Philippines. These have been not brand new problems.
Every so often, kidnappings will focus a courtesy of a authorities, who react to prote! ct a tou rism attention rather than a population. In a past, some of us have tried to prominence a some-more usual issues to a wider world, though a threat of a Internal Security Act (ISA), earthy assault as well as retaliatory measures meant you were effectively gagged.
The collusion of UMNO as well as a media companies it owned meant which these unfortunate stories were played down as well as seldom leaked out; until now.
Today you fight back
It could be said which for a while, Malaysians were lulled in to meditative which assault in Sabah as well as Sarawak was limited to a karaoke bars when fights would mangle out over a quality of singing or a affections of B-girls. Today, a multiple of a stronger opposition, energetic activists as well as some-more outspoken citizens have been eventually thwarting UMNO's mass deception.
In Nov last year, a palm oil estate manager as well as his nephew had been kidnapped from Lahad Datu. As a precaution, marine patrols were increased. A few days later, insurgents armed with M16 rifles raided a fish alighting platform near Tawau. The raid was reported by a lone worker, who hid from them.
Had a militants been testing a capabilities of a counterclaim patrols? Anyway, a raiding celebration was able to trip by without being challenged.
It would be naive to consider which no armed group entered Malaysian waters prior to a problem was initial highlighted upon Feb 12. Several trips as well as arms caches have substantially been secreted via Sabah, available a signal for deployment.
When will UMNO leaders put a country first, prior to themselves as well as a party? A domestic pundit has alleged which unless Najib raises his diversion drastically, he w! ill be k nown as a most inept PM of Malaysia, sandwiched between a shamelessly corrupt Mahathir Mohamad as well as a feeble as well as inept Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Najib needs to stop prancing about upon a universe theatre as well as understanding with matters during home. As for Mahathir, his chickens have come home to roost, as well as a nightmares have been about to begin.
Read More @ SourceMarch 5, 2013
Free Malaysia Today Editorial
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (left) cut a contemptible figure against a background of a mini "war" which erupted upon a "battlefield" of Lahad Datu. When a sharpened started in in between a "invaders" as well as Malaysian confidence forces, Hishammuddin made a dope of himself when he remarked which not a single shot was dismissed in a tense standoff. A firefight has damaged out as well as there were already casualties as well as yet a Minister was in blithe ignorance.
Hishammuddin was a male in assign of a Lahad Datu quarrel theatre as well as should have remained upon a belligerent from day a single to get present margin reports about a gunfight. He unsuccessful to do which as well as a nation was kept in a dim at a conflict of violence.
For a few hours pieces as well as pieces of headlines reached a outward universe as well as we read of ascent casualties upon both sides. There were even reports which a "invaders" have called for reinforcements. It appeared which a confidence forces were in for a bashing.
Two Malaysian Police commandos fell at a hands of enemy snipers in a first exchange of gunfire as well as twelve terrorists were gunned down. Some transient to a seas (have a submarine sunk?) though a rest have been still holed up in a village. They have been digging in for a prolonged fight.
Now Hishammuddin has gone down to a belligerent as well as has issued an ultimatum to a militants to surrender or face "drastic action". Perhaps he has drastically changed his stand as well as realises which Malaysia is ! dealing not with tourists though genuine terrorists as well as invaders.
While Hishammuddin was twiddling his thumbs for weeks trying to figure out who have been these not asked "visitors", his cousin, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak (right) was busily fighting his domestic quarrel against a Opposition as well as did not bother to issue a open matter about a conflict upon a government as well as territorial integrity. He did not take a first flight out to Lahad Datu to consider a situation.
The whole nation was nonplussed over this prolonged silence from a male who should have taken assign of a situation from a outset. He eventually spoke out about fortifying a government of a nation upon a day a fatal shots rang out. It sounded rsther than hollow.
Everyone has been articulate loudly upon a need for wilful action to exude a invaders though not Najib. Hishammuddin contingency have whispered into Najib's ears which those intruders have been actually good people who contingency be treated with child gloves. Cousin, give me some-more time, nothing to worry. Now, Najib is making shrill noises as well as even suspects which a Opposition has a hand in this diabolical tract (same aged diversionary tactic).
Spinning out of control
When a government of a nation is threatened, a male who should take centre theatre other than a Prime Minister is a Defence Minister. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (left) should be in a thick of action though this Defence Minister was personification a bit role. Was he peeved which a armed forces was reportedly sidelined? Is there a "turf war" in in between his method as well as a Home Ministry?
Zahid was read! y to cal l out a armed forces to crush civilian protests, though did not pierce heaven as well as earth to chase a genuine enemies in a home.
The invaders have been pronounced to be descendants of a Sulu sultanate, who have been fighting to reclaim Sabah. That gives it an general essence since a Philippines has prolonged laid explain upon a state as well as it had been a thorn in a side for many decades. The Malaysian Foreign Ministry should have come into a picture to find out from Manila either it is still posterior a claim. If a Philippines has not forsaken a claim, afterwards a armed forces of a Sulu sultanate will continue to bug us.
But Foreign Minister Anifah Aman (right) is reportedly in a dim over a Lahad Datu flare-up. Hishammuddin, Hamidi as well as Anifah should be pass players though a contingent were never seen together co-ordinating a joint reply to a single of a gravest threats a nation is facing.
When a nation is "invaded" all a domestic masters as well as all a heads of a 3 branches of a Malaysian Armed Forces a Royal Malaysian Navy, a Malaysian Army as well as a Royal Malaysian Air Force should step out upon a podium as well as reveal to a nation their quarrel plan. But a theatre was empty as well as dim most of a time.
All Malaysians have a stake in a confidence of a country. People want to know what a government is doing to repel unfamiliar invaders. The prime minister as well as his ministers contingency reassure a open which a nation they call their home is safe as well as sound.
When Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim (left) floated a idea o! f conven ing a special sitting of Parliament to plead a Lahad Datu crisis, Najib should set aside domestic differences as well as adopt a common stand. But he is unlikely to come down a notch for fright Anwar may get a credit, generally when a inhabitant polls is getting nearer.
Now a situation is spinning out of control. The invaders meant business when they vowed to quarrel to a death. Casualties have been mounting, with some-more policemen killed. Unconfirmed reports have additionally emerged which some-more militants have been nearing upon a shores. The terrorists have thrown down a steel plating as well as a Malaysian Armed Forces can do no less than to pick it up as well as face them head-on. This is no phoney war. This is genuine war.
A growth debate to place articles unlucky to Malaysian antithesis leader Anwar Ibrahim in the US media has been suggested by the expanding online publication Buzzfeed, normally improved well known for cat pictures as well as implausible lists.
It suggested payments were done to conservative writers whose work appeared in The Huffington Post, the San Francisco Examiner, the right-leaning The Washington Times, National Review as well as the online publication RedState.
Buzzfeed discovered the conservative pundit Joshua Trevino had filed papers underneath the Foreign Agent Registration Act detailing the debate which ran from May 2008 to Apr 2011. Trevino, who lost his mainstay in Britain's Guardian newspaper after unwell to divulge his commercial operation dealings in Malaysia, was paid $ US389,724.70 ($ 383,599) for the contract with the Malaysian supervision as well as associated people. He used the money to compensate alternative commentators.
Jailed former Malaysian finance minister Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: Reuters
In the square for The Huffington Post, Trevino himself shielded the prosecution of Dr Anwar for sodomy widely condemned in the West as politically motivated as being some-more nuanced than was generally understood.
That square has right away been private from the site. An editor's note says the author had "violated HuffPost's blogger discipline by not disclosing the monetary conflict of interest". The papers uncover Trevino was intent around intermediaries, including the lobbying organisation APCO Worldwide as well as the David All Group, the US online consulting firm.
Buzzfeed reported the filings showed he was additionally hired to write for the websites MalaysiaMatters as well as MalaysiaWatcher.
The writers he hired include Ben Domenech, who was paid $ US36,000, as well as Rachel Ehrenfeld, the executive of the American Centre for Democracy, who done $ US30,000. Others enclosed Seth Mandel, an editor during Commentary, paid $ US5! 500 as w ell as Brad Jackson, essay during the time for RedState, who was paid $ US24,700.
On Friday, Trevino told Buzz- Feed the arrangement was the sincerely standard PR operation.
A commentator for the online media researcher paidContent was not so sanguine. "The upshot is which prominent American media outlets printed propaganda from the semi-totalitarian unfamiliar government," wrote Jeff John Roberts. He said the endless direct for calm by online publications done fixation such paid calm simpler which it once was.
Domenech, the former Washington Post blogger who runs the daily newsletter, The Transom, stood by his writing, saying he was never told what to write, but conceded he was probably hired because his view which Dr Anwar was the "particularly dangerous fellow" was well known.
Read More @ SourceMarch 05, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 Philippine military shut off currently scarcely 70 supporters of a Kiram clan from slipping out of Mindanao to Sabahs easterly seashore to aid a insurgent group underneath glow from Malaysian confidence forces, a Philippines Star newspaper reported.
Tawi-Tawi provincial military arch Joselito Salido was reported saying 67 unarmed supporters of self-styled Sulu sultan Jamalul Kiram III from a archipelagos Muslim-dominant areas in Basilan as well as Sulu, had earlier grouped in Bonggao locale as well as were ready to ship out to a north Borneo Malaysian state.
We negotiated as well as talked with them not to recur their skeleton as this will only minister to a problem, Salido was quoted as saying.
He combined which Tawi-Tawi provincial military had been systematic to keep a watch on some-more militants attempting to sail out to behind a Kiram camp in Sabah led by Jamaluls younger brother, Agbimuddin Kiram.
Malaysia had launched an all-out attack against a Filipino militants during 7am currently in an try to fume out Agbimuddins forces who have been entrenched in a Lahad Datu area since entering Sabah on February 9.
But a Filipino gunmen reportedly transient a bombing, according to Philippine media network ABS-CBNs air wave inform this afternoon, citing Sulu spokesman Abraham Idjirani who pronounced he had received a text message from Agbimuddin.