Cops probing claims of recruitment drive by Sulu group in Lahad Datu

KOTA KINABALU: Police are investigating claims that certain people were recruiting "Sabahans" in Lahad Datu to support the self-proclaimed heirs of the Sulu sultanate.

Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Deputy Comm Datuk Hamzah Ahmad confirmed that they were investigating a police report lodged in Lahad Datu about the claims.

"All I can say is that we are investigating, and that there has been a report lodged in Lahad Datu," he said when contacted Thursday (July 28).

In a report lodged by Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) with the Kota Kinabalu police on Wednesday (July 27), Sabah MHO coordinator Jerry Jaimeh urged police to probe the alleged move to recruit locals in Lahad Datu to declare loyalty to the Sulu sultanate.

He said he had received several WhatsApp messages containing forms that looked like personal identity documents for the so-called sultanate and also certificates of loyalty by individuals from Sabah to it.

"They are using WhatsApp to provide identification documents to express loyalty to the Sulu sultanate," he added.

Jerry said that such activities threatened the sovereignty of the country.

Jerry said authorities must immediately investigate the claims to curb a repeat of the 2013 Sulu terrorist attack in Lahad Datu.

He added that MHO condemned all efforts and actions by any party to recruit groups to support the Sulu sultanate.

It could not be immediately ascertained if the people "applying" for the Sulu identity were paying for it.

Some quarters do not rule out the possibility of individuals trying to scam people following the controversial and disputed US$14.6bil Paris Arbitration Court award for the self-proclaimed heirs to the defunct Sulu sultanate.

Malaysia has obtained a stay order on the Paris arbitration court decision by controversial Spanish arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa who moved the arbitration to Paris to make the decision despite superior courts in Spain stopping him from hearing the case as it involved Malaysia's national sovereignty.