Of heightened security needs here and there...

Kudos to Malaysia's own armed forces for their success to round up 100 armed foreigners in Lahad Datu.

That was earlier when the post was first done. It seems that something is not right somewhere... updated posting is in bold below

Whatever our differences, there are certain common elements that gelled Malaysians together and I believed one of them revolves around our national security.

Despite the many ongoing accusations on the state of our armed forces weaponries, it is good to hear that our own armed forces are vigilant enough to round up 100 armed foreigners in Lahad Datu.

Just a day before, this writer is concerned on South Thailand bloodbath leaving 16 militants dead. It sounds so close and closer still is about the Klang robbery involving a security van and a total loss of RM 1.2M.

As for the Lahad Datu case, I am wondering out loud why did Zahid Hamidi instructed the Armed Forces Chief to issue a statement when the IGP is already on top of the case? Is Zahid Hamidi trying to create the case of 2 Captains manning the same ship? As what happens in the now famous Penang Yee Sang incident where the organisers claimed that a Federal Minister is the one who make an ad hoc decision to call in Psy when the later was not informed of the changes? Is Zahid Hamidi trying to up Hishamuddin on this case? A case of scoring points with 1MPM6 Najib, eh?

Whilst our security forces hauled up a group of armed foreigners in Lahad Datu, their peninsular counterpart needs to beef up and level the score when and if they managed to catch the armed robbers who hijacked the security van and ran off with RM 1.2M.

Referring to Southern Thailand bloodbath, do our armed forces receive intelligence reports on the armed foreigners in Lahad Datu? If their Thailand counterpart were prepared to ward off the militants due to intelligence reports, can we say the same thing to our security forces? Or are these armed foreigners caught by chance? I hope the IGP can shed more light on this. Better still, I hope Malaysia security forces can detail out the weapons carried by these armed foreigners to give a true picture of the situation.

That said, the question that lingers in my mind is - are the armed foreigners here for a specific reason? Worse, are they here to test Malaysia readiness to future intrusion? What if they are the recipients of the infamous project IC? What can Malaysia do to filter out these undesirable elements from our soil?

Whatever it is, due credit should be given to our security forces who are alert with unwanted armed foreigners. In fact, the same treatment should be given to all armed foreigners who step on Malaysian soil, regardless of their background. It is better to be sorry than to be caught with our pants down.

With our long coastline and boundaries, Malaysia should be always vigilant against threats, both internal and externally. I hope that our security forces are always vigilant and shore up their guards, not only in Lahad Datu but elsewhere in Malaysia, be it peninsular Malaysia or Sabah or Sarawak. Let the politicians squabble about who should lead Putrajaya and let us let our security forces be neutral defending our sovereignity from threats, either internally or externally without the meddling hands of politicians.

Note : At the time of writing, there is latest news mentioning about negotiation with the armed foreigners. What's really happening? How many armed foreigner groups breached our shores in Lahad Datu Sabah? Why so many of them here? Are they here on CNY visit to relatives with blue IC? I wonder... The Philipines has their own version of the situation here. So, which is the correct version?

Back in Penang, State BN Chief Teng Chang Yeow of Gerakan claimed there was an attempt on Psy's life forcing Najib to leave the stage last Monday. Is Teng implying that our security forces are so porous that this can happen in 1MPM6's presence? Or is it another attempt to cloud the issue why Psy failed to participate in Yee Sang tossing? Instead of identifying the Federal Minister who make an ad hoc decision to include Psy in Yee Sang, now Teng is partly pushing the blame to our security forces. Why? Because our security forces has no avenue to defend themselves whilst the Federal Minister will squirm her his way out of the sticky situation.

Ok, back to Lahad Datu sticky situation. It seems that everything is not as it seems to be. Almost 24 hours later, it is still deadlocked with confusion and questions. What is really going on? The so-called armed foreigners are now termed as 'royal army' of the Sultanate of Sulu.

Instead of simple 1-2 solution, now many parties are offering varied reports and there is no ending to the story. Some comments mentioned that Sabah was "rented" to Malaysia for RM5300 per year. This is hearsay based on court proceedings of 1930's. If that is so, then is it not the Cobbold commission finding that determined the people of Sabah and Sarawak chose to join Malaya in forming Malaysia back in the 1960's? That said, will it be possible for the Cobbold commission finding supercede the 1930 court decision? And if that line of thought stands, why (if the government did pay the rental) did Malaysia pay the rental? To whom? and where is the receipt? When is the expiry date? Or is it as per Francis Light said "until the sun rise from the west and sets in the east" situation?

Or better still, is the rental money paid to appease some people somewhere? And this rental payment has been wrongly construed as Malaysia's acceptance of the situation? Now, if Sabah is on lease, who is the legitimate owner of Sabah? What is the legal standing of those residing in Sabah? Are they Malaysian citizens or are they not? Worse still, are they rented citizens of Malaysia?

The standoff is long enough and I sincerely hope our security forces moved in before the whole episode flares the international attention and put Malaysia into an awkward situation with our equally awkward 1MPM6 trying to resolve the issue. For all you know, 1MPM6 may be asking "Are you ready for **** sultanate?" instead of making a firm stand in Lahad Datu.



Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...