Cabinet reshuffle: Will the new Ministers be effective? - Part 2

In Worst Attack In Years, 89 Afghans Killed By Suicide Bomber

At least 89 people were killed Tuesday by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. It was the deadliest attack on civilians in that country for several years.

The attack occurred near a busy market and mosque in Urgun, a town in the eastern province of Paktika. In addition to the dead, 42 people were injured, according to the Defense Ministry.

"A man in a Toyota SUV was identified by police as a potential attacker, but when they ordered him to stop for checks, he set off the bomb," Nasar Ahmad, the deputy provincial police chief, the Guardian, a British newspaper.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban sent a statement to media denying involvement, saying they "strongly condemn attacks on local people."

The bombing comes at an for Afghanistan. Last weekend, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry helped broker a deal between the two Afghan presidential contenders, who have been arguing over the results of last month's runoff election. But there are that the deal may yet come unraveled.

Last week, the United Nations issued a saying the number of civilian casualties in the country had increased by 24 percent during the first half of the year, reaching levels not seen since 2009.

There are now near-daily attacks in the country. In two incidents Tuesday that were separate from the Paktika blast, a roadside bomb in eastern Kabul killed two passengers in a minivan carrying employees of the media office of the presidential palace, while seven police officers and six border guards were killed by Taliban insurgents at the Pakistani border in Khost province, The Associated Press .

The Paktika blast was the deadliest suicide bombing in the country at least since a at an outdoor dog fighting competition.

"There was blood everywhere, and we could see hundreds of people shouting and crying, including women and children," an eyewitness The New York Times. "The entire area seems like a graveyard with fresh blood on it."

 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/07/15/331691048/in-worst-attack-in-years-89-afghans-killed-by-suicide-bomber

Wan Azizah has periods, so she can’t be MB, says Umno lawyer

It appears that Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (pic) may not be a suitable candidate for the Selangor menteri besar post because she suffers from "uzur syarie" (menses), according to an Umno lawyer.

Lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun said the menteri besar has always been male for this reason despite there being no specific clause excluding a woman from holding the post, the New Straits Times today reported him as saying.

"This is because should a woman menteri besar suffer from 'uzur sharie' (period), there will be many obstacles for her to accompany the sultan at religious functions.

"Hence, the article under the Selangor constitution, for example, may not hinder a woman from becoming a menteri besar, but by convention, there could be problems because of the said circumstances," Hafarizam said.

The article also said that Wan Azizah might not be able to perform religious obligations, even though she qualifies under the Selangor constitution which states that an MB must be “a member of the Malay race and profess the Muslim religion”.

The English daily also quoted International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) lecturer Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz who agreed with Hafarizam, saying that it was impractical to have a woman MB.

"There is no specification in the state laws that does not allow for a woman to be the menteri besar. The main requirements are for the candidate to be Muslim and Malay,” said Shamrahayu.

“But we also have to take into account sensitivities and taboos in society, as well as whether we are ready for a female menteri besar.” she said.

AirAsia named world’s best low-cost carrier for 6th year in a row

AirAsia has been named the "World's Best Low-Cost Airline" and "Asia's Best Low-Cost Airline" for the sixth consecutive year by the Skytrax World Airlines Award.

The airline received the awards at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, London, today.

AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said it was a great honour to be acknowledged as the world's best low-cost airline for the sixth consecutive year.

"It all started with a dream 12 years ago. From two aging aircraft and six routes back in 2002, we have grown to operate a proud fleet of over 160 aircraft, flying to 95 destinations and having carried over 250 million guests," he said in a press release.

Fernandes said AirAsia was proud to announce a comeback in the low-cost carrier market in Japan this year with new partners and investors.

"We shall re-emerge with a greater strategy and business plan in our quest to revolutionise Japan's low-cost carrier segment," he added.

He said the airline was also ecstatic with the grand launch of AirAsia India, the latest affiliate committed to innovatively tap into India's under-served aviation market and becoming the obvious choice for low-cost travel in the country via the lowest fares and unparalleled service and product options.

The Skytrax World Airline Awards is the global benchmark of airline excellence and one of the most prestigious accolade for the airline industry.

The annual global survey is conducted over a 10-month period covering over 245 airlines from the largest international airlines to smaller domestic carriers.

A total of 18.9 million customers participated in a survey measuring standards across 41 key performance indicators of an airline's front line product and services. – Bernama

Hafarizam: It's not about Wan Azizah or menses

 

Umno legal advisor Mohd Hafarizam Harun explained that his comments published in New Straits Times earlier today did not refer specifically to PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail nor to menses.

He said that he was speaking about women in general, and the term ‘uzur syarie’ he used, can mean other women-related issues as well, such as confinement after birth.

“My main statement in NST is that although there is no express provision deterring a woman to be menteri besar in Selangor, conventionally, a woman has never been a menteri besar in history of Malaysia.

“Possibly this is because of religious reasons apart from whether Selangor is ready to have a woman menteri besar. One hadith (narration of Prophet Mohammad) has said that a country would not prosper if led by women.

"I never said it’s because Wan Azizah has menses!” he told Malaysiakini in a text message.

Earlier today, NST had quoted Hafarizam (right) saying that while there are is no law barring women from the top post, there would be many ‘obstacles’ for her because uzur syarie would prevent her from accompanying the sultan at religious functions.

“Hence, the article under the Selangor constitution for example may not hinder a woman from becoming a menteri besar, but by convention, there could be problems due to the said circumstances,” Hafarizam was quoted as saying as a constitutional expert.

The report also quoted Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) law lecturer Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz agreeing with Hafarizam that a female menteri besar will have difficulty at times escorting the sultan on formal occasions.

Their comments have led to angry reactions on social media as well as from leaders from both sides of the political divide.

“It wouldn’t say NST misquoted me because if you read the (quotation), I said it is not a deterrent, but by convention there has never been a woman menteri besar,” Hafarizam said when asked.

Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar however, said women can hold any government position except for Wan Azizah.

Perkasa: Kalau tidak boleh tembak lebih baik bawa kayu

Logik akal, sekiranya bawa senjata tetapi tidak boleh digunakan bila berjumpa musuh maka ia adalah sia-sia

PETALING JAYA: Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) menyokong seratus peratus hasrat Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) untuk memohon kebenaran pasukan keselamatan melepaskan tembakan terhadap individu atau kumpulan yang menceroboh masuk kawasan perairan Sabah.

Menurut Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, hal ini patut dilakukan bagi menjamin keselamatan negara, rakyat dan anggota keselamatan.

“Logik akal, kalau pihak keselamatan bawa senjata, tetapi tidak boleh digunakan bila berjumpa musuh, kita sudah kalah.

“Maka lebih baik bawa ‘kayu’ saja. Tidak perlu habis duit rakyat beli senjata kalau tidak boleh digunakan,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Jelasnya lagi, tindakan itu seolah-olah membiarkan pasukan keselamatan dibunuh dahulu oleh penceroboh.

Bahkan, Ibrahim turut menyatakan apa-apa jua peraturan, apatah lagi bagi menjaga kedaulatan negara haruslah mementingkan dahulu keselamatan ‘pasukan keselamatan’.

“Atas prinsip maruah, keselamatan dan kedaulatan negara, Perkasa menggesa pihak kerajaan dan Perdana Menteri membenarkan hasrat TLDM untuk menembak penceroboh yang datang menceroboh ke negara kita,” ujarnya.

Sebelum ini, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak menjelaskan bahawa pihak keselamatan perlu mengemukakan prosedur operasi standard (SOP) “shoot on sight” atau ‘tembak apabila nampak’ yang lebih jelas terhadap kumpulan bersenjata yang menceroboh perairan negara untuk mendapat kelulusan kerajaan sebelum melaksanakannya.

“SOP perlu jelas supaya tidak berlaku perkara yang tidak diingini,” katanya.

Manakala, Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dilaporkan berkata, pasukan keselamatan harus diberi kuasa untuk menembak mana-mana pihak yang didapati menceroboh perairan negara.

‘Set up Police Complaints Commission now’

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran said the commission was vital to address the ever rising cases of death in police custody.

GEORGE TOWN: A DAP parliamentarian today called on the Putrajaya administration to stop giving excuses and set up immediately the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as recommended by the Royal Commission of Inquiry headed by Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran said the commission was vital to address the ever rising cases of death in police custody.

He said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s federal government’s lack of seriousness and commitment to address custodial deaths had been disappointing and irresponsible.

“How many more custodial deaths must occur before the federal government sets up the IPCMC?” asked Kulasegaran, the DAP national vice-chairman, in a press statement here today.

He welcomed the Penang state government’s move to set up a three-man committee to monitor and address custodial deaths.

He noted that the Pakatan Rakyat government set up the committee after it received no response to its letters enquiring about custodial deaths that were sent a month ago to the Attorney-General, the police and Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam.

Kulasegaran said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said in Parliament last July that the proposed IPCMC was rejected because it went against the Federal Constitution, while denying natural justice.

However, Kulasegaran said Dzaiddin had countered that the proposed IPCMC was consistent with the Federal Constitution.

Dzaiddin pointed out that Article 140 thereof provides that Parliament may by law provide for the exercise of the Police Force Commission’s disciplinary control over members of the police force in such manner and such authority as may be provided in that law.

“Therefore, there can be no doubt about its consistency with the Federal Constitution,” Dzaiddin said in response to Zahid’s statement.

Last year, Kulasegaran recalled that then High Court judge VT Singham had in the Kugan verdict said the IPCMC should be set up soon because the public and family members of custodial death victims had little confidence in police investigations.

The DAP leader also questioned if the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of integrity and corruption Paul Low, had forgotten his promise last June to do something to stop the incidents.

He said Paul Low had said then that the government, being concerned with the alarming statistics of custodial deaths, was determined to stop all future tragedies behind bars.

“Do not think they are blind to what is out there. It is just that the process of government needs to find a solution to stop this,” Paul Low had said then.

Kulasegaran is now curious what happened to Paul Low’s promise, in the wake of increasing custodial deaths, including six in six months in Penang.

“Can Paul Low explain why the government is so afraid and reluctant to support the IPCMC when other countries like UK and Australia have similar external oversight bodies?” asked Kulasegaran, a lawyer by profession.

Where are the real Muslim heroes?

By Zaid Ibrahim,

The Economist posted a leader article recently entitled “The Tragedy of the Arabs” in the midst of the latest round of intense Israeli bombings and the killing and maiming of hundreds of Palestinian women and children. The blame for the tragedy was, as always, placed on the Arabs, particularly extremists and militant Muslims. Given that, they had the gall to suggest that it’s the Arabs themselves who are responsible for finding the solution to this violence. Israel’s criminal actions and America’s complicity were not mentioned, and neither were the brutality and mistakes of Western powers in the Middle East in the last 100 years.

Meanwhile, Malaysia and the rest of the world are watching in silence, making only the most facile condemnations just as they have done in the past. The UN Security Council took a week just to come out with the usual line that “Israel has a right to defend itself”, as if the Palestinians were not human. The rest of us can only watch in horror as mothers lose their children, as communities disappear, as homes and hospitals are destroyed; as entire families are killed by Israeli bombs. Our leaders have obviously not seen the disturbing pictures being broadcast on Al Jazeera, perhaps because they’ve been too distracted by the World Cup. They’ve been busy gathering at Dataran Merdeka for the football party and celebrating whose predictions turned out to be correct.

I find the conduct of our leaders (both political and religious) to be farcical, cowardly and pathetic. Muslims are being slaughtered in broad daylight and America isn’t even bothering to stop the lunatic Netanyahu from bombing Gaza to bits, and still they say and do nothing. What happened to all their concern about protecting Muslims from the evils of the world?

Maybe in a few days they will get their youth leaders to assemble after Friday prayers and then march to the American Embassy to show their disapproval by shouting “Death to the Jews” like they always do. In the speeches that will follow their leaders will call on Muslims to unite. But after that everything will be forgotten and they will be back in the office, waiting for another invite to Washington DC or London.

They are not defenders of Islam or heroes of the ummah. It looks to me like their attempts to be heroes are limited to doing the umrah (with TV coverage of course) as many times as possible, threatening Christians against using the word “Allah” and calling the scholar Kassim Ahmad a deviant and an apostate. Their whole idea of being an Islamic warrior is based on playing God over the lives of others. They don’t dare talk about how America has destroyed Muslim lands and Muslim dignity.

You may wonder what we, as a small country, can do in this situation. Yes we are small, and certainly our resources are limited, but we must not sacrifice our independence and our dignity as a nation. Even a small country must defend justice and not be cowardly in the face US hypocrisy on Palestine. Even a small country must speak out against the injustices perpetrated by a so-called superpower. We just need to be courageous.

There are several ways to do this. First we must be prepared to condemn the US for its callous disregard for the lives of Muslims and Arabs. We must be unequivocal about the fact that friendship has its limits and that we Malaysians are not the puppets of America. If we have to scrap the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement or TPPA to make our point, then we must do so. If we have to summon the American Ambassador or ask him to go home, then we must do so. If we have to suffer economically for a while for our recalcitrance, then we must do so. If we have to lobby Indonesia and other Third World countries for their support, then we must do so.

What we must not be is a helpless coward and allow others to trample on our heads. The Muslim world is looking for leadership, but many Muslim leaders are afraid to offend Washington and to find answers to the tragedy articulated by the Economist.

There are risks of course when you assert your independence and reclaim your dignity. Salvador Allende gave his life to give democracy to Chile, as have many others who have dared to take on America. I am not suggesting that our Prime Minister be another Allende or Hugo Chavez: just be firm and unafraid to communicate with Obama and Cameron. Call them daily if necessary. Ask Rosmah to call the Arab sheikhs who are friendly with her so they can help the Palestinians.

Help Iran if necessary so Iran can do more for the Palestinians and Hamas. Help the refugees with government allocations and don’t depend just on Mercy Malaysia. If we as a nation can show courage, then perhaps we can attract the attention of other moderate countries like Indonesia. By our outspokenness and our commitment to creating a safer world order, Washington might do more to stop its brother Israel from committing mass murder. We must help save the Palestinians from extinction. It’s not enough to be the jaguh kampung like ISMA, but to be real Muslim heroes.

UMNO has failed to promote women in politics — Dyana Sofya

July 15 — Apparently, some people feel that Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail may not be a suitable candidate for the Selangor menteri besar post because she suffers from “uzur syarie” (menses).

This statement from UMNO legal adviser Dato’ Hafarizam is another testament to show how UMNO has failed to promote women in politics. This is unsurprising when even the UMNO Wanita Chief belittled my candidacy during the Teluk Intan By-election.

It is precisely this sort of negative attitude by those in power that has constantly robbed women of opportunities to lead in this nation. Only a person with a caveman mentality can deny women the opportunity and right to hold a leadership position in government simply because she may not be able to perform certain ceremonial acts during “that time of the month,” even though she is perfectly capable of performing her governing and administrative obligations.

Obviously Dato’ Hafarizam has never heard of three-term Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, who is one of the most powerful leaders in Europe. Perhaps if he had watched the World Cup Final yesterday, he may have noticed Merkel in the audience, sitting next to the President of Argentina, Christina Fernandez de Kirshner. In case it is not obvious enough for Dato’ Hafarizam, they are both successful women leaders.

In the Muslim world, we had Benazir Bhutto who was the first Muslim woman to head a democratic government as Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988. Her achievement was followed by Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991-1996 and again from 2001-2006.

If the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh had leaders with the same mental capacity of Dato’ Hafarizam, these remarkable women would never have been allowed to rise to their eminent positions.

Sadly in Malaysia, and in the year 2014, we still have leaders who think having menses is a handicap that disqualifies women from being a head of government.

The reality is that the state constitution of Selangor simply specifies that the Menteri Besar must be a Malay Muslim. Nothing is mentioned about the gender of the said Menteri Besar. As a lawyer, Dato’ Hafarizam should respect the letter of the law and not try to blame societal sensitivities and taboos.

I wish to ask whether Dato’ Hafarizam whether it is truly sensitive or taboo to have a woman as leader of a society, or is this simply the case in UMNO?

All over the world, females are given more and more leadership opportunities, and it is our job to educate our own people and prove that we too have remarkable women in our country. Hence, those in power should maximise the potential of women in this country and not belittle others and revealing their shallow sexism in the process.

Power to my sisters.

* Dyana Sofya is political secretary to YB Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader.

In Malaysia, Islam’s legal advance divides families and nation

Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 ― Deepa Subramaniam would not let go of her son, clinging to five―year―old Mithran’s leg even as the car into which he had been bundled began to accelerate.

The 30―year―old, a Hindu in Muslim―majority Malaysia, says she was dragged along the stone―strewn road outside her house until she dropped to the ground, scratched and sobbing, as her ex―husband drove off.

The alleged abduction on April 9, detailed by Subramaniam in a police report and witnessed by a neighbour, was a painful loss for the mother―of―two, who has not seen Mithran since and fears her ex―spouse’s conversion to Islam will win him custody.

The case has become a focal point of tensions over the widening role of Islam, which critics say is threatening Malaysia’s secular core and exacerbating fraught relations between ethnic Malays, who are Muslims, and minority Chinese and Indians.

Subramaniam’s estranged spouse converted from Hinduism to Islam in 2012, after their nine―year marriage broke down, taking the name Izwan Abdullah.

He then converted Mithran and their now eight―year―old daughter to Islam, giving him a strong case under Islamic law, or Shariah, to take over their custody ― which a Shariah court granted him five months later.

“In five minutes, the children read some verses and were converted,” said Subramaniam. “In 10 years, he never gave us money, he enjoyed his life and abandoned me countless times. Under what characteristic are they giving my children to him?”

Subramaniam fought back, last year obtaining a court protection order based on her accounts of domestic violence and in April winning a high court ruling that dissolved their marriage and gave her custody of the children.

Two days later Izwan took Mithran from outside her home in the town of Seremban, 60 km (37 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur.

Reuters attempted to contact Izwan through his lawyers but did not receive a response. In April, he told The Star newspaper that he had taken the boy because he feared his ex―wife would turn the children away from Islam.

Secular or Islamic?

In Subramaniam’s custody battle, and another similar case, Malaysia’s national police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, has declined to act on judges’ orders for children to be returned to their mothers, citing competing orders from the civil courts and state Shariah courts. His stance has been backed by the home minister.

Legal experts say that is an unprecedented challenge to the secular courts’ authority.

Politicians and activists pushing for Islam to play a bigger role in society have been on the advance since a May 2013 election that further polarised the nation and left the government more reliant on Malay and Islamic conservatives.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who casts himself globally as a leader of Islamic moderation, is accused by critics of failing to take a stand against emboldened Islamic officials and courts as he seeks to shore up his party’s core Malay vote.

“After the elections last year, somebody seems to have stepped on the gas pedal and we are moving much more headlong to a situation where Islam is enforced through all these institutions of state,” said Andrew Khoo, a prominent lawyer.

Shariah courts operate at the state level and have been limited to Muslim family matters. Law experts say they had been recognised as subordinate to civil courts, but the legal lines have become blurred as Shariah courts have expanded their powers in recent years to areas such as homosexuality and gambling.

“The civil courts have totally abdicated whenever there is a whiff of an Islamic issue,” said Shad Faruqi, a law professor at Malaysian university UiTM. “We are witnessing a situation where a silent re―writing of the constitution is taking place.”

Police chief Khalid and the attorney―general, the country’s chief public prosecutor, have applied to the Court of Appeal to intervene to determine the jurisdiction of the courts.

Khalid and the attorney general’s office did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Peace and harmony

Islam’s special role in the former British colony is enshrined in the constitution, which defines it as the religion of the federation. But the same article goes on to say that other religions may be practised in “peace and harmony”, a provision that has been challenged by recent events.

In January, state Islamic authorities raided the office of a Christian group and seized more then 300 copies of Malay language Bibles because they contain the word “Allah”, which Christians here say they have used for centuries.

The use of the word has become a touchstone issue for conservative Muslim groups, who declared victory in a protracted legal battle last month when the nation’s top court ruled that a Catholic newspaper cannot use the word to refer to God. The Islamic body has not returned the Bibles and has said it will seize other publications, defying the attorney general’s position that they are not illegal.

“Najib is a moderate but I think he is under tremendous pressure from certain quarters in the party,” said Saifuddin Abdullah, a former member of the Supreme Council of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) who now heads the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation set up by Najib.

“We are not the only ones who counsel him.”

The minister for Islamic Affairs, Jamil Khir Baharom, said in June that Malaysia was not a secular state and that the government was working to expand Shariah.

Conversions, custody battles

Najib’s cabinet said in 2009 that conversions by one parent should be halted, but the decision was never passed into law. Rights advocates say it is mostly husbands who convert to Islam seeking an upper hand in custody disputes. Non―Muslims are not allowed to appear in Shariah courts.

“It becomes a weapon to wield power over a wife ― ‘not only can I wield power over you, but so can the whole state apparatus’,” said Ivy Josiah, executive―director of the Women’s Aid Organisation.

In one case, Hindu school teacher Indira Gandhi has been waiting four years for police to act on a high court ruling that her convert husband should hand back her daughter, now six. In May, a high court cited the ex―husband for contempt.

Subramaniam has filed more than 20 police reports against Izwan since their marriage began to disintegrate and said he had shown no interest in the Islamic faith before they separated. Police chief Khalid was reported in April as saying that Izwan was being investigated over four of those reports.

She says she receives regular calls from government officials urging her to convert to Islam as an “easy” way to get Mithran back.

“I was given custody but he has my child; there’s no justice in Malaysia,” said Subramaniam. “No religion tells us to separate a mother from her children.” ― Reuters

Nur Misuari Involved, Says Zahid

KUCHING, July 15 (Bernama) -- Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari is using his own men and other groups to carry out intrusion and kidnapping activities in Sabah, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said they were carried out to raise funds to revive the front's military wing, besides trying to re-exert its influence in the southern Philippines.

It was common knowledge, he said, that Nur Misuari was not getting support, and was not involved in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) peace deal signed by the the Government of the Phlippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to resolve the Mindanao conflict in March.

"We do not have any direct relationship with Nur Misuari, but we believe he has a bigger agenda, is conspiring with individuals who are said to be part of the Sulu Sultanate, which aims to take over Sabah," he told a press conference after attending a breaking-of-the fast function with police personnel at the Al Mujahiddin Mosque, Tabuan Jaya Police Housing Complex here today.

He was referring to the incident on Saturday where an ambush by foreign gunmen at a resort on Pulau Mabul, Sabah resulted in the death of marine police corporal Ab Rajah Jamuan, 32, and the abduction of his colleague Constable Zakia Aleip.

Yesterday, a local daily had reported former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor as saying it was likely Nur Misuari was behind the incident in trying to exact revenge for being excluded in the CAB.

Abdul Rahim was quoted as saying MNLF was angry with the Malaysian government for throwing its support behind MILF.

Meantime, Zahid said Nur Misuari appeared to be confident that Sabah could be taken over by the individuals claiming to be from the Sulu Sultanate and also wanted to get involved in the matter.

"I wish to stress that Sabah is part of Malaysia, we will not allow even an inch of the territory to be intruded upon by outsiders," he said.

He said the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), which from today comes under the police, will ensure that any action taken against intruders will follow set standard operating procedures.

Zahid said he hoped the locals (in Sabah) will give their full support to ESSCcom to ensure the area is safe, and gave a stern warning that anyone caught collaborating with the enemy would have to bear the consequences.

He said he was aware that there were some people, who could be permanent residents, temporary residents or illegal immigrants, who were in cahoots with the enemy, and that it was only a matter of time before they were brought to book.

Zahid also said Malaysia and the Philippines were working closely in facing threats from militants from the southern Philippines, not only between the police forces of the two countries but various other security agencies as well.

"We are cooperating very well, in terms of their navy and coast guard, they are giving us their fullest cooperation," he said.