Day 10 of Ops Daulat

The tenth day of the Ops Daulat was void of any gunbattles. However, the intense operation to track down Sulu gunmen was underway continuously. Here are the happenings of the day:

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the police arrested a man carrying a package containing two samurai swords and three machetes in Jalan Tanjung Labian here because he is believed to have links with the Sulu intruders.

Batu MP Tian Chua was charged in the Sessions Court here today for having uttered seditious words in four statements over the Sulu intrusion in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

Tian Chua, 50, whose real name is Chua Tian Chang, pleaded not guilty to committing the offence under the Sedition Act at No. 62-2-A, Fraser Business Park, Jalan Metro Pudu, off Jalan Yew, here, at about 11 am on March 1.

Defence minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the 35 followers of the Sulu Sultanate in two boats laden with firearms and ammunition caught by Philippines Navy yesterday will be charged in the country’s court soon.

He also said that the culture of seeking revenge among the community in southern Philippines for the past several hundred years may spark a recurrence of the bloody tragedy in Lahad Datu in future.

The Defence Ministry is now responsible for overseeing East Sabah's 1,400km coastline which was previously under the purview of the Prime Minister's Department (JPM).

Home minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the government does not dismiss the possibility of setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) or opening a White Paper to investigate claims that third parties were behind the terrorist intrusion in Lahad Datu, Sabah.