(Audio clip of MNLF chair Nur Misuari's appeal to Malaysian PM Najib Razak in Tausug.)

By Ben O. Tesiorna

Moro National Liberation Front chairman Nur Misuari expressed alarm on the sending of one battalion of soldiers by the Malaysian Government to the disputed Sabah as reinforcement to the Malaysian security force now running after the men of the Sulu Sultanate who occupied as coastal village in Lahad Datu, Sabah since February 9.

In his Facebook page, Misuari posted on Monday (March 4) “Asal dih kiyabisahan bat nagpara na isab battalion re-inforcement daing ha KL.... Duaa mga taymanghud (They never learn their lesson despite their loss they sent a battalion of reinforcement from Kuala Lumpur. Brothers please pray),” reacting to a story regarding the sending of reinforcement from Kuala Lumpur to Sabah last Sunday.

Misuari’s post was addressed to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak whom Misuari earlier appealed not to send more troops to Sabah to prevent the escalation of bloody armed confrontations there.

In his visit to Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte Saturday evening, Misuari appealed to PM Najib Razak to refrain from sending more troops to Sabah. Misuari also appealed to Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III not to aggravate things.

“I’d like to call on Malaysian Prime Minister Najib to desist from sending more forces there. I’ll also try to talk to the Sultan of Sulu not to aggravate the situation. We must talk in a brotherly way. I can mediate between them,” said Misuari.

The MNLF chair however also warned Malaysia not to persecute the hundreds of thousands of Filipino Tausugs in Sabah as he would not tolerate such action.

“Kung sakali, in the aftermath of this crisis, they will persecute our civilians there hindi ko na matolerate yan. That might drag as into a crisis situation and it might tantamount to a bigger problem. I don’t want that,” Misuari warned.

Misuari is suspected by some as the mastermind in the Sabah standoff but he outrightly denied this saying that he was in Africa for almost a month.

“They accuse me of instigating the Sabah (incident).I have been with my wife for almost one month in Africa, malayo kami dito. Papaano ako magfinance, saan ako kukuha ng pera? I do not know who is surrounding the President. Kawawa ang presidente na to, he does not know what he is talking about. We are becoming the laughing stock in the whole world with the way he presents himself before the eyes of the peoples of the world. Basta ano-ano na lang na accusation ang itatapon nila, baseless and unfounded accusations,” Misuari ranted.

The MNLF chair admitted though that some members of the MNLF were part of the more than 200 armed men who occupied Lahad Datu for more than two weeks.
Misuari said the MNLF members who joined Kiram's group in Sabah did not get his permission though. He said they joined Kiram's group not as MNLF members but in their personal capacity because they have relatives in the Sulu Sultanate Royal Army.

“Maraming nakasama dung MNLF forces without my knowledge, I have acknowledged that. But I have nothing to do with their going there. I don’t like to make trouble,” Misuari said.

In denying his suspected role, Misuari told Duterte and the media that if he was behind the plot to take Sabah, he would have sent a sizeable force and not just 200 men.

“What can 200 armed men do against the forces of Malaysia. That is a big gamble on their (Sulu sultanate) part. And that is not the trademark of Misuari na gumawa ng ganyang kalokohan. It’s a sign of cowardice on my part to deny kung meron akong participation doon. Hindi pwedeng iiwan ko ang mga anak ko, my nephews. Marami akong nephews kasama doon na nadala lang ng sweet talks,” he said.

“Kung si Nur Misuari ang behind dun magpadala ako ng 200 weapons lang? Di trademark ni Nur Misuari ang ganyan. I hope yang mga threat (of arrest) na yan ay hindi totoo. I don’t like trouble with the government. I don’t like trouble with Malaysia. I want peace,” added Misuari.

The skirmish in Lahad Datu that resulted to the death of two Malaysian cops and 12 Filipinos have reportedly spread in other areas over the weekend with the death of five more personnel of the Malaysian state security force. BOT