Kiram men crippled with arrest of 'commander' — Malaysian police

From GMA News (Mar 23): Kiram men crippled with arrest of 'commander' — Malaysian police

Malaysian security forces on Saturday claimed to have dealt followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III in Sabah a major blow with the arrest of one of their "military commanders" early on Saturday morning.

A report on Malaysia's state-run Bernama news agency said the Kiram commander was captured along with his wife in a swampy area in Semporna at 1:30 a.m.

Police Deputy Inspector General Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar did not name the commander but described him as in his 40s.

"With the capture of the commander and a local stooge of the terrorists, I am confident the terrorist group is now crippled," Khalid said, adding residents tipped off the authorities to the commander and his wife.

He also said a supposed "coordinator" of the Kiram followers was arrested by security forces Friday night.

A separate report on The Star Online said the coordinator was arrested along with his wife.

Khalid described the "coordinator" as a local in his 40s, who provided for the needs of the Kiram followers such as "food, drinks, accommodation, transportation and medicine."

The coordinator was caught at 10 p.m. Friday in Kampung Tanduo, and is now being held under the Immigration Act, Khalid said.

"The local coordinator has been identified as the individual who made arrangements for food and drinks, accommodation, transportation and medicine for the terrorists since the early part of the intrusion," he said.

Kiram forces crippled?

Khalid said the capture of the commander and the coordinator will likely weaken and limit the remnants of the Kiram followers, who he said will now be "directionless."

But he said the offensives in Sabah that began March 5 will continue.

He said at least 408 people have so far been detained for offenses, while the number of Kiram followers shot dead remained at 63.

So far, he said 38 bodies of Kiram followers were retrieved from the operation area, including eight which were taken out of Kampung Tanjung Batu Friday.

The bodies were now undergoing postmortems at the Lahad Datu Hospital, he said.

Get your act together

In Manila, a Malacañang official on Saturday urged Kiram's camp to get their act together on the nationality of eight supporters who had been charged before a Malaysian court for their “intrusion” into Sabah.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte maintained that as far as Malacañang is concerned, the eight are Filipinos who will be given the needed assistance.

“They have to clarify their position. Isang araw, that particular side had condemned the filing of charges against eight people, they expressed concern (the) offense may carry (the) death penalty. Today they are singing a different tune, hindi ito (they are not) Filipinos but Malaysians,” she said on government-run dzRB radio.

Asked if the Palace considers the eight as Filipinos, she said that is the Philippine government’s “initial information,” adding, “We have not heard any contrary reports.”

Earlier Saturday, a report on dzBB radio said Kiram’s camp claimed the eight who were charged before a Malaysian court were Malaysians and not Filipinos.

While the eight were charged before a Malaysian court for engaging in terrorist activities, two of the eight face the death penalty after being slapped added charges of waging war against the King.

Valte also said the Philippine government had been granted access to the detained Kiram supporters, and will now focus on providing assistance to them.

“We will be taking the necessary steps to (giving) assistance that is needed,” she said.

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