KOTA KINABALU: The easy penetration of foreign forces into Malaysia is a grim lesson as to the grave security situation of Sabah, said Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing.
“I fully support the mobilization of our security network in the east coast of Sabah as the threat by Nur Misuari in sending reinforcement to Sabah cannot be taken lightly,” Bumburing said.
“This matter is of deep and grave concern among the people because foreigners are already staying in our neighbourhood,” the Tuaran Member of Parliament said.
According to Bumburing, the occupation of Malaysia’s territory at Lahad Datu by foreign forces with intent to challenge the sovereignty of the country is a very serious breach of the national security.
“It calls for a total unity of our people including parties on both political divide in the country to come together to ensure that the dignity as well as sovereignty of our King and nation and freedom of our independence is preserved and protected.
“As such I support the call for a special roundtable session of parliament to address the issue. The government owes the people through parliament an explanation on the incident. Parliament had adjourned a sitting to discuss a motion on happenings in foreign land such as in Gaza, Palestine. The Lahad Datu is a grave national issue and the government must take it to the people,” he opined.
To Bumburing, the incursion in Lahad Datu is the second black episode in the history of Sabah.
According to him, foreign forces from Indonesia encroached Sabah not long after independence in the infamous Indonesian confrontation.
In that incident, the government under the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman dealt with the incursion decisively and swiftly, he disclosed, adding, “though we lost the lives of several of our security forces the sovereignty of the country had been preserved with great honour and pride for the people of Malaysia”.
He felt that this time round in the Lahad Datu incident the government had acted hesitantly and indecisively in preserving the sovereignty of the country by engaging first in negotiating with the foreign forces.
This had caused uneasiness, fear and questions from the people. In addition to this, the lack of information provided by the government had stirred up rumours in the state and adding a feeling of insecurity among the people of Sabah, he pointed out.
“The fear arising from this debacle among the people in Sabah is understandable bearing in mind that there are already hundreds of thousands of foreigners in Sabah, thanks to Dr Mahathir for giving away Malaysian identification cards to them,” he said
According to Bumburing, the general feeling of the people is that if only the political leaders in the government had acted swiftly and given the clear mandate to the armed forces the casualties might have been avoided given the availability of the country’s ground, naval and air arsenal.
“Information on the outcome of the bombings by the air force had not even been released by the government to the public. The report by foreign press that the bombs landed a kilometer away from the position of the foreign forces added more speculation from the public.
“The loss of eight of our security forces had deeply saddened the heart of the people especially so after seeing the gruesome pictures circulated in the Internet of brutally mutilated bodies of our fallen security personnel which were later admitted by the commanders of our forces. We have heard this inhuman brutality committed by the Abu Sayaff in the Philippines before but now it was committed in our own land.
“We in Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) convey our deepest condolence to the families of our fallen heroes. Nothing can console the bereavement of those families concerned except the fact that their heroic sacrifices are rewarded with the security and sovereignty of the country and the people of Malaysia, in particular Sabah.
“They will be forever remembered by the people and their sacrifices will surely strengthen the resolute of the people to fight and to protect the sovereignty of this state and country,” Bumburing said.