MNLF condemns terrorist acts in Eastern Sabah

From the Philippine News Agency/Bernama (Mar 7): MNLF condemns terrorist acts in Eastern Sabah

The Moro National Liberation Front of southern Philippines has condemned the violent acts committed by the terrorists who intruded into Lahad Datu and Semporna in Sabah, its present chairman Muslimin Sema said Thursday.

Muslimin, appointed chairman by the front's highest decision making body, the central committee back in 2008, also stated that Nur Misuari was just an ordinary member of the central committee. The MNLF, he said, considered Sabahand and Malaysians as their own brothers.

"We (MNLF) do not support with (sic) what is happening in Sabah (the intrusion and the violent acts of the terrorists). We disapprove it. The incidents in Sabah are done to drive a wedge between our peoples.

"The incidents are also to break the bond between Sabah and the southern Philippines, as well as between Malaysia and Philippines. They want to destroy the bond (between the two peoples)," he told Bernama in an exclusive interview via telephone from Manila Thursday.

Two days ago, Malaysia dispatched fighter jets and ground troops in armored personnel carriers to put to a end a nearly three-week armed standoff in the seaside village of Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

The joint police and military security operation codenamed "Ops Daulat" is still ongoing right now. The intense standoff in Lahad Datu and Semporna has cost the lives of eight policemen and at least 52 terrorists.

On Misuari's statement recently that the MNLF was ready to send its armed fighters to Sabah to help the Sulu terrorists, Muslimin said, he was dissapointed with the former MNLF leader.

"His statement is uncalled for and irresponsible. I hope that I have the power to stop him (Misuari) from making the statement. Sabah and Malaysia are not our enemy," he said.

Misuari, he said, was just an ordinary central committee member and did not wield wide influence in the front.

Asked if there were members of the MNLF involved in the Sabah incidents, he said an investigation had been launched by its central committee to determine the matter.

"The investigation by the central committee members in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu have found that no regular members of MNLF are involved in the Sabah intrusion. We are not involved in any kind of violence," he said.

However, Muslimin said, if there were members of MNLF involved with the violent acts committed in Sabah, it was done on their own and was never condoned by the front's leadership.

"If they committed the acts, it was done as an individual person as the MNLF never sanctioned their acts," he said, adding that most of the Filipinos' residing in Sabah earned a decent living.

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