Ongoing Sabah Conflict Wreaks Havoc to a Once Peaceful Region

A few hours ago a military attack was waged by Malaysian authorities against armed Filipinos hiding out in Eastern Sabah on the island of Borneo. The area was bombed by jet fighters for more than half an hour afterwards troops went in to find 180 Filipinos thought to be in the area. A total of 27 casualties have been reported.

The mission was successful, according to the police inspector general of Malaysia since there were no Malaysian casualties in the exercise. The Filipinos were unharmed as well, as they sought refuge to their relatives in the Philippines. In the wake of the violent turn of events, the Philippine government asked Malaysia’s permission for a navy vessel to provide assistance to the militant group from Sulu. When news of Filipino fatalities reached the President, he dispatched the foreign minister Albert Del Rosario to negotiate for assistance and a means of sending the intruders back home.

The root of violence

Almost a month ago, a boatful of around 200 armed Filipinos who are descendants of the Sulu Sultanate landed in Lahad Datu in Sabah after successfully going past Malaysian naval boats. The group, who are members of the Royal Army of Sulu, came with demands to the Malaysian government and repeated the claim that the land belonged to the Sultan of Sulu. The Philippine government has repeatedly implored the group to lay down their arms and come back to Sulu.

The Sulu Sultanate leased Sabah in the 19th century to the British who were then in control of present day Malaysia. Sulu, the island chain situated between the Mindanao mainland (Philippines) and Borneo Island (Malaysia) is ruled by the family of Sultan Jamalul Kiram. The Sultanate once ruled a huge area in Mindanao, including regions of Borneo Island. In 1963, Sabah was annexed to Malaysia. The Malaysian Government pays a token rent to the Sultanate of Sulu annually. The current demands from the Sultanate are that payment be increased and that the lease be re-negotiated, which Malaysia blatantly refused. It was in 1963 when Sabah became a part of Malaysia, and the country is still paying a token rent every year to the Sulu Sultanate.

Before the latest spark of violence, a dozen supporters of Sultan Kiram were killed in skirmishes with local authorities. And during the weekend, six Malaysians (security forces) and 11 Filipinos were also confirmed dead. Malaysian officials had warned during the weekend that a violent attack could not be avoided especially since the Sultan’s men started it by encroaching on some districts in Sabah. And as Najib Razak, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, released a directive for security forces, the Philippine Government called on its counterpart for maximum tolerance.

Long-range effects

Local industries in Sabah, particularly the palm oil and infrastructure industries have been affected by the violence. Multinational companies have major energy investments in Sabah both in mining of fossil fuels and alternative sources of energy.

The population of Sabah is now composed of around 800,000 Filipinos who have been migrating since 1970 to the region unregulated. When the attacks erupted, the locals fled to safer ground. Most of the residents of the area are unaccustomed to such violence.
Malaysia and the Philippines will both hold elections — the Philippines in May and Malaysia in a matter of weeks. Philippine President Benigno Aquino has come under fire from local opposition for supporting Malaysia as the Sabah issue remains unresolved in Philippine policy making. Aquino’s comment on the opposition party’s encouragement of the militant group’s intrusion sparked even more controversy.