'Sultan Sulu' rep seeks permission to go to Sabah

A representative from the Sulu Sultanate is seeking permission from the Malaysian government to allow him to go to Kota Kinabalu to help negotiate resolution to the intrusion crisis in Sabah which has been going on for four weeks.

Esmail Kiram II is hoping the Malaysian government will agree with the proposal as the first proposal to held talks in Brunei was rejected.

“I urge my brothers and sisters in Malaysia to come together to resolve this issue... as soon as possible,” Esmail said as quoted by a Philippines media, Rappler.com.

Esmail is the younger brother of Jamalul Koram III who had been appointed as the ‘Sultan of Sulu' and is the elder brother to Azmimuddie Kiram.

Esmail made the statement during a press conference in Makata after having a closed door meeting with Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government of the Phillipines, Manuel Roxas II.

Roxas said in a separate press conference that the meeting also talked about the discussion for the surrendering of Jamalul Kiram III’s followers who are wanted by the Malaysian police and army in Sabah.

According to Roxas, Kiram’s family raised several questions and concerns during the discussion.

“We talked about issues already known to the public like the Malaysian leaders wanting them to surrender. Therefore, one of the questions raised was how to go about doing it. That’s just an example, “ said Roxas.

Roxas also explained that the discussion didn’t touch on the exact date when the terrorists will surrender.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last week rejected a ceasefire declared by Jamalul but instead labeled them as a terrorist group, which up until now have been surrounded by the military and police force near Lahad Datu.

Roxas also said the discussion did not directly touch the question of immunity to the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu.

Roxas and Esmail, however, declined to disclose further details of the discussion because it has yet to be presented to President Benigno Aquino III.

Meanwhile, Esmail denied Jamalul had blocked him from an earlier plan to go to Kota Kinabalu to negotiate the crisis. Instead Esmail said he personally did not want to go as it was a dangerous situation.

Invasion of the crisis so far has killed at least 62 people, with a total of eight police personnel and 54 terrorists.

The authorities also arrested more than 110 people to investigate on their involvement in helping the terrorists.