Followers of my blog are probably wondering why I have not
said a word about the current sad although I will not call it meaningless
confrontation in Sabah. What is meaningless is the loss of lives that was
absolutely unnecessary. It was a war of choice that they could have walked away
from once they made their point. Sultan Kiram III is not only a friend, a
neighbor, a tennis partner but his daughter was also my son’s classmate in
elementary/High School. I wish him well. I hope some good will come out of
this.
MY PERSONAL TAKE:
I get the feeling that people wanting to stay in the news
some of them most probably are political opponents of P-Noy are blaming the
government for not sending in the Philippine marines. It is probably what the
Royal Army of the Sultan expected the government to do but we are a government
of sensible men. There is nothing here that I could say which has not already been
said about the legality of the Sultan’s claim.
Let us be real:
1) Owning a property in another country does not transfer
ownership to one’s own country.
2) 1963 is not really that far back in time. When
the British granted Independence to Malaysia in 1963; Singapore opted to stay
out of the federation and it was granted. That was the right time for the heirs
of the sultanate of Sulu (with the help of the Philippine government) to stake
its claim. Some accommodation could have been made but I haven’t read anywhere
that a claim during that time was ever made to Britain. Can you blame Malaysia
now?
3) Sabah was never a part of an Independent
Philippine Republic.
4) When USA granted Philippine its independence in
1945; the sultan of Sulu could have given USA/Philippines (in writing) the
rights to its properties in Sabah which was at the time a colony of the British
Empire. It was the end of World War II and given the good relations between USA
and Britain not to mention having fought side by side with the Filipino Guerillas;
Sabah could have really been included in the newly independent Philippine
Republic. Sayang na Sayang…
5) Sabah may have been a part of the Sultanate of
Sulu but the sultanate of Sulu is not the Republic of the Philippines.
6) The best that the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu
can do is demand recognition of their rights from the government of Malaysia. I
think the government of Malaysia will offer them dual citizenship which is not
unusual in fact; Malaysia allows them to come and go as they please. Some of
them are permanently living in Sabah. When Malaysia’s spokesperson was asked by
Al Jazeera on “Inside Story” why the Malaysian government allowed these armed
men to enter Sabah in the first place; the answer was: “we allowed them to come
and go as they please for many many years now.” That answer is a de facto recognition of their
rights to the land (out of Malaysia’s sense of good neighborliness). Close to a
million of them are living in Malaysia so why rock the boat sailing on a sea of
tranquility? Beware of politicians...
NLK
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