Malaysia wants sultan extradited

From ABS-CBN (Mar 6): Malaysia wants sultan extradited

Malaysian authorities will ask the Philippine government to extradite Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III if criminal charges are filed against him in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian Attorney General Abdul Gani issued the statement Wednesday, as Malaysian troops continued their manhunt for the sultan's supporters in Sabah.

"AG's Chambers will seek a request for the extradition of Jamalul Kiram III from the Philippines, should a case be made against him," Gani said, as quoted by state news agency Bernama.

Gani was the lead prosecutor in opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial in 1998.

The Philippines does not have an extradition treaty with Malaysia but has a mutual legal assistance pact under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Malaysian authorities are now treating the sultan's armed supporters as "terrorists."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement Tuesday night, said Foreign Minister Anifah Aman raised the issue of criminal cases filed against the "terrorists" with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.

"Malaysia needs clarifications about the law that these terrorists will be charged with in the Philippines, and for the law to be studied by Malaysia’s Attorney General," Anifah said.

"I also emphasised that actions need to be taken against Jamalul Kiram for his many statements inciting hatred and violence," he added.

Del Rosario allegedly promised Anifah that "the Philippine Government will charge the Sulu group involved in Lahad Datu and Semporna to the fullest extent of the law in the Philippines."

Anifah, in the statement, also claimed that Del Rosario "agreed that this group should be labelled as terrorists."

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has denied the Malaysian foreign minister's statement, saying it was "written out of context." It said Del Rosario only agreed to the phrase "terroristic acts" in reference to alleged atrocities committed by the armed followers of Kiram III.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/03/06/13/malaysia-wants-sultan-extradited