By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 04, 2013
COMMENTARY March 4 — There comes a time when Malaysians must unite and fight a common enemy, not bicker and blame each other over what is going wrong. That time is now for Sabah.
We need to support our policemen and troops facing Filipino militants who wish to lay claim over a land whose people decided to form Malaysia 50 years ago with Malaya and Sarawak.
We need to make sure the sacrifice of eight fallen policemen was not in vain, that their widows and children know their husband or father’s death has helped keep Malaysia intact and free.
We need to see what our priorities are now, to end the bloodshed and standoff in Sabah with Filipino militants who have broken our territorial integrity and laws.
We need to get our peace and security back. We stand united or we fall divided. Pure and simple.
The time for investigating what went wrong with our defence of Sabah will come. The time for apportioning blame and reveal the traitors will come.
Right now, we need our politicians to stop blaming each other and accusing each other of instigating this incursion. Such talk is not constructive and will not help our security forces do their job.
This is not the time for politics, and the less we hear from people like Special Affairs Department (Jasa) director-general Datuk Fuad Hassan the better. We don’t need him to tell us what to do and be patriotic.
We are Malaysians, we are patriotic and 100 per cent in support of our security forces in facing the threat of these Filipino militants.
We need to listen to people like Jasica Ahmad who tweeted from her account @jasicaahmad, saying “sulu hashtag is scary… i prefer #prayforsabah more positivity and prayer than talking about politic and do nothing.”
Or for example, 12th Kopites1982® who said in his @ElHazizyKopites Twitter account: “It matter not by which flag you stand up for, what matter is ‘Ini Rumah Kita’ #PrayForSabah #UniteAndFight”.
Azrul Hafiz also made it clear in his @azrulhfiz Twitter account, saying “just stop wih political issues and keep pray for our nation #PrayForLahadDatu #PrayForSabah”.
Right now, the Ministry of Defence is sending two battalions of soldiers as fast as possible to double the strength of security forces in Sabah. Budget carrier AirAsia is helping to send the troops there.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has vowed to stay there with his top brass and policemen until the situation is resolved. And Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said the time for talk is over, it is time for action.
Malaysia has been patient enough. Our policemen and soldiers are at the forefront of an unexpected war with Filipino militants and locals who appear to owe their allegiance to the Sulu sultan and not our Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
A squad of 25 policemen went to investigate suspicious activity in Kampung Simunul in Semporna but only 19 came back alive after being rescued from an ambush on Saturday while six others died.
Two other policemen had died in Lahad Datu on Friday. That is eight deaths too much for a peaceful country like Malaysia and a beautiful state like Sabah.
So let’s get with the programme. Take action first, expel the militants or capture them to face the wrath of Malaysian law.
Only then we can have a review and inquest over what went wrong in Sabah. Not now. Now is the time to unite and fight back our enemies.