KOTA KINABALU: Several leaders in Sabah have called on the government to declare war against those responsible for the death of marine police corporal, Rajah Jamuan, during an ambush by a group of armed men at Mabul Water Bungalows Resort in Pulau Mabul, Semporna on Saturday night.
His colleague constable, Zakiah Aliep, 26, was reported as missing and is believed to have been kidnapped by the marauders.
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk Teo Chee Kang, when asked to comment on the latest incident, said that he viewed the attack as a challenge on the Malaysian security forces.
“This is a very serious encroachment into our territory. It is a very serious breach and I urge our enforcement personnel, especially our police force, to declare war against these people. We must put up a very strong front against all intruders and together we must guard our boundary as well as defend our sovereignty,” the Minister of Special Tasks stressed.
“I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the police personnel who sacrificed their lives to defend our country and the safety of the people and their property. I hope the spirit of our security forces, especially the police force, will strengthen by this tragic incident. We must stand together to fight this war against people who encroach into our country,” he said.
On the issue of people putting the blame on illegal immigrants who obtained Malaysian citizenship and identity cards dubiously, for the intrusions, Teo said he believes the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah had looked into the matter comprehensively.
“The RCI, I believe, would have already looked into this very comprehensively. Its report has already been submitted to the government. However, to date the report has yet to be revealed. We just have to give a little more time for that and I am sure there will be recommendations, suggested by the RCI panel and we will go from there,” he said.
When asked if he supports the suggestion by former UPKO president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok that all identity cards issued in Sabah be recalled and re-issued only to genuine Sabahans, Teo replied: “If indeed there are ICs which were dubiously obtained by the illegal immigrants then we have to do something to cancel them. If there is evidence that can prove the ICs were obtained dubiously, then I would support the move.”
Meanwhile, DAP Sabah chairman Jimmy Wong also rallied on Sabahans to rise up and declare war against the intruders for taking the life of a policeman.
“Today, we lost a young and bright soul, a patriotic servant who served this country and state that we all love with pride and bravery. We owe it to him to make sure that his sacrifice will not go in vain.
“We, the people of Sabah, the citizens of this country, should rise up. It’s time to rise above partisan politics and unite as a nation, to stand up and say enough is enough and it’s high time to defend our sovereignty. It’s time to strike back. For what they have done to us last night … this means war!
“I call upon the Prime Minister and the Minister of Home Affairs to file an emergency motion. Our troops were shot at and abducted. This is serious. This is a national security crisis, and we, in the opposition, are ready to work with the government to take on this issue swiftly.
“I strongly urge the PM to call for an emergency Parliament session, allow representatives from both the BN and PR to discuss the solution and face the challenges ahead. It’s high time for BN and PR politicians to put aside our differences and unite for a national cause,” the Kota Kinabalu member of parliament said.
Jimmy stressed that the situation is serious as the country’s sovereignty is at stake and the intruders have come in and out of the state like it’s their own playground.
“We must make a stand. We must strike back. We may have our political differences in the past but at times like this is where we should unite like what Abraham Lincoln once said: “We are not enemies, we must not be enemies; though passion may have strained, it must not affect our bond of affection”.
“And, that common affection is Our People. Our security is at stake, the people of this beautiful state don’t deserve to live in fear. But instead, it’s time to strike fear back into our enemies’ heart, to make a loud and clear statement that we will not tolerate our people from being kidnapped/tortured/shot at, let alone our troops. This should be the true spirit of patriotism.
“To Datuk Seri Najib, they attacked us while you were leaving Sabah last night. They are provoking you, and they have drawn first blood. So I call upon the Prime Minister, who also is our commander-in-chief, to lead. And when you do, I assure you, the rest of us will follow suit. Be a man, do the right thing, and solve this once and for all!” Jimmy said.