Lahad Datu: Kampung Simunul villagers dread repercussions of Sulu gunmen’s dastardly acts

IT'S 11am at Kampung Simunul. The sprawling village on stilts, on the outskirts of Semporna, is the largest of the squatter colonies scattered around the coastline. It is usually a hive of activity but as I meandered through the maze of rickety walkways, I felt like I was walking through a ghost town.

I had taken a one-and-a-half hour journey by road from Lahad Datu to Semporna, a distance of some 140km. We passed by three road blocks manned by security officers along the way and the security presence was obvious as we saw three people being detained at one of the road blocks.