Victims and villains of Ladah Datu

 

J. D. Lovrenciear 

 

The incident of the Sulu Sultanate attacks in Sabah and our duty-bound security counter-attacks has brought to the fore a barrage of very serious allegations and issues that demand immediate reflection, investigation and more importantly the courage, integrity and determination to put national security, national sovereignty  and citizens’ sanctity above all else.

Political party strategies, priorities and profiteering thereof are a definite act of treason against nation, King and citizens.

Just take a re-cap of the many statements, allegations, speculations, and all kinds of shady finger-pointing going on between and by the politicians, and you cannot help feeling that there is massive iceberg out there.

In the fist place, why blame or even insinuate that ‘opposition’ may be behind the support for the Sulu Sultanate? Why is the media not contributing to aspired harmonization but seem so engrossed in creating alarm after alarm?

Are the media being exploited for and by self-serving interests?

 

And then what about news that burst out detailing about an UMNO-instrument who was into discussions with the Sulu Sultanate? Do the UMNO leaders not have that same sense of serious concern for nation, King and rakyat to immediately investigate and expose the truth without prejudice or favor?

Lest we forget, what was the Sulu Sulatnate doing as an important VVIP at UMNO’s own Assembly? Now that this very person has turned the tides on Malaysia, does UMNO – and even its component comrades of BN, not sense that investigations, accountability and explanations need to be forthcoming without any shades or colors?

Or how about the allegations surrounding the Libya arms that reached the shores of Muslim militants in Philippines via Malaysia’s Sabah? Was this another of our classic ‘tutup satu mata’ stance? Do we also not get immediate answers to this?

Next, in case we overlooked, what was a former Prime Minister – now common citizen and retired out of official power doing in Lahad Datu? He was flashed all over the media meeting with our soldiers who are answerable to the General and King. What gives him excess to otherwise security matters that are privy only to those in the right office?

The commoner-citizens are not wrong is showing so much of apprehension and concern over the Lahad Datu incident that now appears even more mysterious. Yet the politicians preach that rakyat must not politicize the situation. What kind of threatening is this? Does it not smell akin to a gangster –  where the strong and powerful shut up the weak (for lack of ‘inside information’) and unarmed (for lack of positions in office)?

Do citizens not have a right to know what is right and wrong? Do citizens who will finally fight the war against any intrusion and attack on their sovereign status and safety cordons not have a right to demand that politicking has no place in this Lahad Datu incident?

The rakyat are reading outside of the main stream media loop these days. One such report is that which appeared in the Manila Standard Today (MST).

So we ask in defense of our armed personnel and their grieving families, how come we are unable to nab one chieftain with our twelve battalions, i.e. some 7,000 of our security personnel, not to mention all the artillery we unleashed?

We managed to kill 63 of the 200 band of armed ‘terrorists’ but lost ten of our loyal, brave men in uniform. That is a high price to pay when you only had foot-intruders running ambush in the plantation (not jungles, mind you) against our battalions armed to the teeth.

Come to think of it there have been far too many incidents in Malaysia these past many years where the citizens are merely left to speculate for the lack of transparent accountability. They are left high and dry in the absence of believable justifications.

It ranges from tolls and highways, mega projects and sand selling, rail and island cessation – name it we have had it all didn’t we? That was the high chaparral days of the OSA – Official Secrets Act, mate!

We do not have to go far – even till this date and hour we cannot speak and agree openly about the real truth of the May 13, 1969 horrors. There is so much of politicking. Likewise for the Altantuya grisly murder – we are left with a judgment verdict which concluded that although motive is essential, it is not necessary for this case. Now are these not of national interest to concern the caring citizen?

With the media pledging allegiance to either political parties or to individuals within the corridors of power, it is not helping situations either. With some media playing safe owing to political party allegiance although they would be quick to cloak their reporting with the label of ‘self censorship’ is just as bad doing damage to nation building.

So much so we have degenerated into a deep well of darkness where we cannot see the distinct difference between political parties and government.

This then is the malaise – the very cancer that is making our borders vulnerable and our future fragile. 

   

Perhaps there is some food for thought here in what the Philippine Defence Secretary, Voltaire Gazmin is reported to have said: “when you are hunting fish, the water becomes your enemy.”