MILF: Focus on peace talks, not Sabah

SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines – The head of the country’s largest Muslim rebel group on Tuesday, March 12, broke their silence on the on-going violence in Sabah, Malaysia, saying his group is not interested to retake the disputed territory this time.

“We are more focused on the peace process and we don’t want it to complicate [it] with the issue of Sabah ownership. We feel the issue is separate from the peace process,” Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said.

“You may recall that in the early stages of negotiations since 1970s to 1996, there was never mention of Sabah claim… because it is not part of the peace process. So why only now other groups are trying to say the framework of agreement did not mention of the Sabah?,” he added.

Murad said they expect to sign a Malaysian-brokered peace deal with the Philippine government next month.

“I think in the power sharing almost only one issue not agreed yet and two issues on the natural resources. The sharing will be 75% and 25% on the government. But this has not been agreed yet,” he said.

“We always put priority to the peace process despite our group is waging for war. However, we always believe that political settlement through negotiation is solution to the problem. The armed struggle is only a means to push forward the negotiation,” he added.

Murad issued their position a month after a group of more than 180 militants led by Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram, the brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, arrived in the east coastal town of Lahad Datu in Sabah from southern Philippines to claim territorial rights to the land.

The standoff erupted into violence on March 1, and 61 people—53 sultanate followers and eight Malaysian policemen—have been killed in armed confrontation between the two sides. – Rappler.com