KOTA KINABALU: A three-page document granting an accused in the Lahad Datu intrusion trial the power to act as a ‘maharadja’ or emperor of Kampung Madai in Kunak was found during his arrest, the High Court here was told yesterday.
When identifying the document in court, former Kunak Special Branch chief ASP Dzullmukhry Ismail said the document bore the name of the accused, Julham Rashid, and the power of ‘maharadja’ was granted to him by Sultan Esmail Kiram. He said the document was found with three other sets of documents related to the Sulu sultanate when Julham was arrested on March 1, 2013, at his house at Kampung Pengkalan Madai, Kunak.
Dzullmukhry, who is now attached to the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) as Assistant Superintendent in Operations Coordination, was testifying in the trial of 30 individuals linked to the intrusion by Sulu militants in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu two years ago.
The witness also identified an 11-page bundle with the words ‘The White House Washington’ written on the cover.
“There are also appendices titled ‘The Association of the Representative Puyoro Kitara’; ‘The President’s Volunteer Service Award’; and ‘Malaysia, Philippines Support Sulu’s Independence’,” he said.
When identifying the other two sets of documents, Dzullmukhry said the first one, a 20-page bundle, had the words ‘Hulo Ko Bangsaku’ written on its cover, while the other was a 10-page document titled ‘Hukuman Sigpag Sultan’. The police officer said six membership cards of the Sulu sultanate were also found at Julham’s house, in which three were in his name.
“The first card was in the name of Julham Bin Rashid as the ‘Maharadja Kampung Madai, Lembaga Kunak’; the second read ‘Julham Bin Rashid of Kampung Madai, Kunak’; and the third card was issued by “Office of the Panglima Community Leader, in the name of Julham IM. Rashid, Panglima Madai, Kunak, Sabah,” he said, adding that each card had the photograph of the accused and was signed by Sultan Esmail Dalus Kiram.
Dzullmukhry said the other three cards each bore the words ‘Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo (Sabah)’ with one signed by Sultan Esmail Dalus Kiram and was issued to ‘Sahial Usman, Kunak Jaya’.
The rest of the cards, however, were signed by Datu Raja Muda Agbimuddin B. Kiram with one bearing the name ‘Maj. Anwar V Idris’ and the other ‘Idris, Anwar’, he said.
In the dock were 27 Filipinos and three local residents who were facing one to multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group, waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, recruiting members for a terrorist group or willfully harbouring individuals they knew to be members of a terrorist group.
They allegedly committed the offences between Feb 12 and April 10, 2013. The hearing before Justice Stephen Chung continues today at the Sabah Prisons Department. — Bernama