Lim Kit Siang
PENAMPANG: DAP national leader Lim Kit Siang has called for adequate representation from Sabah in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the Sulu intrusion of Lahad Datu.
The Ipoh Timor member of parliament also said that members of the RCI should be Malaysians of impeccable character.
“In the past weeks, there have been allegations implicating Malaysian personalities, both the Prime Minister Najib and the parliamentary opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The RCI should investigate into all these and other allegations in the greatest depth, neutrality and impartiality,” he told a press conference at the DAP Sabah’s headquarters here yesterday.
Kit Siang, however, did not elaborate on the number of Sabahans that should be on the panel as what is important is for the RCI to be set up first.
He said DAP welcomed the announcement by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, would be announcing the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) and that details would be revealed today.
DAP’s welcome is, however, tinged with caution as the RCI into the Suluk intrusion in Lahad Datu and Semporna, which has taken the lives of 10 national heroes from the police and army, must be an independent, impartial and professional one, and should not be become a political and electioneering tool to serve the political agenda of any political interests, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, he stressed.
In fact, this is an occasion for all political forces, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, to put aside their partisan differences and unite as one patriotic Malaysian movement not only to pay tribute and honour the 10 national heroes who gave their lives in the defence of national sovereignty and to ensure the safety of the people of Sabah, but also to give unstinting support to the security forces to adopt all necessary measures to protect national sovereignty and defend the security of the people and security forces personnel, he said.
“Let us not blemish the great sacrifices of our 10 national heroes with petty divisions and agendas. Let all Malaysians, including the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, political leaders whether BN or PR, rise above their partisan differences and unite as one patriotic Malaysian people on this issue.
“Pakatan Rakyat leaders are prepared to do this. Are Barisan Nasional leaders, including the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and the Sabah Chief Minister, prepared to do the same?” Kit Siang questioned.
This is why Pakatan Rakyat leadership had called for an emergency meeting of Parliament and an all-party round table to fully pay tribute and honour the fallen heroes, declare full support to the security forces in all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty and ensure the safety of the people of Sabah, including security personnel stationed in Sabah, Kit Siang said.
The all-party round table will also give national commitment that the bereaved families and their children will be taken care at state expenses for life, including education to university level, by the Federal Government, whether BN or PR and condemn the intrusion and invasion of the Sulu gunmen into Lahad Datu and Semporna that caused the loss of Malaysian lives.
It will also demand the cessation of payment of the annual rental of RM5,300 to descendants of the Sulu Sultanate; and to call on the Philippines to demonstrate ASEAN community and spirit by officially dropping all claims to Sabah, he stressed.
“I want to urge in the strongest terms possible that Malaysian political leaders whether in government or opposition, should not debase and demean the sacrifices of the 10 fallen heroes, by reducing the RCI into a a witch-hunt or defamation campaign against PR leaders,” Kit Siang added.
For this reason, DAP wishes to make proposals for the RCI into the Sulu invasion, among which is the need for Najib to consult with Pakatan Rakyat leaders on the formation of the RCI into the Sulu invasion, especially with regard to the composition, terms of reference and the time-frame and mode of operation of the RCI.
Kit Siang stressed that members of the RCI into the Sulu intrusion should be Malaysians of impeccable character commanding undisputed respect and authority from all strata of society, including all political parties as well as adequate Sabah representation on the RCI.
This is particularly relevant as the present Barisan Nasional Federal government is an “expired” government, having exceeded the five-year natural life of Parliament on March 8, 2013, he said.
“There should be the widest and most comprehensive terms of reference, not only into the root causes of the invasion, but as to how there could be such a major security and intelligence lapse that a ragtag group of more than 200 armed Suluks could intrude into Lahad Datu on February 9 and to entrench themselves at Kampong Tanduo for 23 days, before the stand-off descended into shoot-out.
“The inquiry must also look into why the various agencies did not stop the intrusion of the Suluk armed men on February 9; whether the loss of lives of the ten security personnel could have been avoided; whether there had been political interferences preventing or deterring the security chiefs from dealing with the Suluk intrusion in the most satisfactory manner so as not to cause any loss of lives or to land the country into a protracted national and international crisis inimical to Malaysia’s international image and reputation,” he stressed.
Kit Siang was of the opinion that the public hearing should only begin after the 13th general election so as to avoid accusation that it is set up as a political ploy to serve partisan interests of the ruling political parties and be deemed debasing and demeaning the loss of lives of the 10 security forces as well as the security concerns of all loyal and patriotic Malaysians.
“From dissolution of Parliament to polling day normally takes about a month. There should be no reason why the RCI into the Sulu intrusion cannot be held after the 13th general election if the purpose is to establish the truth and nothing but the truth about all aspects of the Sulu intrusion – taking into consideration that the RCI into illegal immigrants was only formed after more than three decades of public pressure and more than six months after a formal Cabinet decision had been taken,” he said.