No casualties in Sabah – DFA

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 1): No casualties in Sabah – DFA

The Dept. of Foreign Affairs Friday denied reports there were Filipino casualties in a reported gunfight between the followers of a royal Muslim clan and Malaysian authorities in Sabah.

“We have talked to the Malaysian ambassador who confirmed there was firing in Lahad Datu this morning. He likewise said that there are no casualties and that the firing had stopped,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a television interview. Hernandez said the DFA is still verifying who fired the first shot.

Sultan of Sulu Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram sent the group, now locked in a tense standoff with Malaysian forces, on Feb. 9 to the resource-rich territory they claim as their own, creating a diplomatic crisis between Manila and Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia regards the group as intruders. Sabah, located south of Mindanao, is territorially disputed by the Philippines and Malaysia.

A Philippine claim for sovereignty over Sabah has lain dormant for decades, but Malaysia continues to pay a yearly rent to the heirs of Sultan of Sulu, who claim to be the descendants of the original Filipino sultan who had control over the territory for centuries.

Earlier, the daughter of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, Princess Jacel Kiram, said that Malaysian security forces have fired on their group. "We suffered 14 casualties, 10 dead and four wounded. Blood has flowed," she said.

The princess said this was despite at least two days of "formal and informal talks" for a peaceful settlement to the situation. The princess called on the Malaysian government to "clarify" if it is engaging in a dialogue or a unilateral course of action.

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