Hamza
KOTA KINABALU: The group of foreigners in military uniform who intruded into Sabah, near Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu, will be deported back to their country once negotiations have been completed.
State Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said he believed the matter would be resolved soon and the group would leave the state within a week.
“I am very optimistic that they will be deported back within a week,” he told a press conference at the Kepayan police headquarters here yesterday.
Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Ismail Omar had on Thursday said the presence of more than 100 foreigners in military uniform who landed at Pantai Tanduo, did not want to be associated with any militant group from the Philippines.
Ismail had said that the armed group had demanded to be recognized as the “Royal Sulu Sultanate Army” and that the subjects of the Sulu Sultan in Sabah were not to be deported to the Philippines.
According to Hamza, negotiations between the group and the police were made as the former had entered the country for their demands to be made.
He said negotiations went smoothly without any tension or unwanted incident.
“We (police) are on top of the situation. We just need some time to solve this matter and I can assure the public that it will be solved soon,” he said.
Asked if there were any shootings as claimed by certain social network sites and blogs on the Internet, Hamza denied that such an incident ever occurred.
“There are many rumours going on pertaining to this matter and I would like to remind the public to stop listening to such rumours,” he said, adding that the situation at Pantai Tanduo was safe and under control as the police had mounted barriers to prevent anyone from entering or leaving the area, freely.