"When Malaya's
Tunku Abdul Rahman went to Sabah before the Sabah referendum in 1962 to talk to
the elders of North Borneo (Sabah), why did not the Philippines and its Government do the same to
organise a campaign in situ to get the Sabahans on side? Why didn't they do it?
By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for Sabah Claim Society
23 August 2015
Now, is "blame someone else but me" a distinct Filipino character trait? I'm beginning to think it is!
For
the last few years, the usual refrain when people discuss the Sabah
claim issue is to blame the British for the situation the Philippines
finds itself in with regard to its stale claim on Sabah. Well, well...
Alright,
let's deal with it and throw the Framework Agreement, the BBL, the
entire immobile Sabah claim, the Sultanate of Sulu bickering
(nearly fratricidal crap, etc, etc) and include with them the kitchen
sink at the British.
I
agree the British 'created the problem' as many people who have just
recently discovered the North Borneo (Sabah) conundrum have been spewing all over the place. But here's
what: these Filipinos must understand and admit once and for all that
the
Philippines contributed largely to
that decision that created the problem (and continues to contribute unequivocally to the problem TODAY).
But
let's be fair and be a bit more
clever about things. It's nice to have a punching bag or to have a butt
of
"sisi" (much like Noynoy aka as Boy Sisi), in this case, the British,
but we must ascertain that the Philippines, its leaders and its people
aren't at fault either before we cast blame or "sisi" all around.
Anyway, if we want to cast "sisi" all around, here are some real reasons
for you to go and do all the "sisi" you want:
(1) At the time, i.e., early 60s, Senator Jovi Salonga was working so
hard negotiating
with the Brits, your/our own countryman, Senator Lorenzo Sumulong, a
flamboyant ex-diplomat to the UN (who happens to be the grand uncle of
current PH president, Noynoy Aquino), was going all over the place,
attacking and casting vitriolic heaps of acid via the PH Senate pulpit
to
whip PH Govt and its Sabah claim to extinction.
He sold the PH claim to
Tunku Adul Rahman, then Malaysia's Prime Minister by acting as the
soon-to-be-created Malaysia Federation's attack dog against the
Government of the Philippines and its claim to Sabah. It wouldn't
surprise me therefore, that like the big powers at the time, the Brits
took this all-Philippine treasonous approach to the Sabah claim,
happening in one of the highest echelons of power, as an excuse to say,
"Bloody hell! You people don't know what you want? Well, I'll decide for
you!" (Let's not beat around the bush, it was an all-Filipino treason
game which must have greatly amused the Brits and the Malayans!)
(2) Furthermore, if blame has to be cast all around, let's not look far
away.... Our own masters and commanders at the time, the great United
States of America, did not lift a finger, did not do anything at all to
help us convince the British to allow the Sultanate of Sulu to have it
back in 1962. On the contrary, the Americans not only did not pay even
scant attention to this issue but also discouraged us from tackling the
Sabah issue (check out records from as far back as 1957). And one would
have thought that as our greatest allies, they would see our way. But
heck, no...just didn't happen, but you don't see me around blaming the
Americans, now, do you? (Fast forward... In 1967 or 68, it was America
that alerted Britain that Marcos was on a "war path" and so what
happened? Britain tried to show force by landing fighter aircraft on our
own soil. Did America say anything? Nope! Not a word! They were in
cahoots with the UK!)
(3) One important element: When Malaya's
Tunku Abdul Rahman went to Sabah before the Sabah referendum in 1962 to talk to
the elders of North Borneo (Sabah), why did not the Philippines do the same to
organise a campaign in situ to get the Sabahans on side? Why?
The Philippine Government was well aware of
what was going to happen but did not lift a finger, did not do anything
and instead, LEFT EVERYTHING TO FATE as in "Bahala na!" The Government
at the time just sat on its big fat ass while the other party, the
Malayans led by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, were going at things hammer and tong
right in the heart of Sabah to convince the Sabahans to join the
soon-to-be created Malaysia Federation. TOTAL PHILIPPINE INERTIA! PH Govt just
didn't go the extra mile even if it meant saving Sabah claim's own skin
for God and country. Parbleu! And you think we are not to blame?
And I can recite a long series of other "blames" but I won't. I'll stop
at those because they should be enough to enlighten you.
So,
lets be a bit more clever about this, shall we? Because we can't just be
making "sisi" all around like Noynoy does today when things go wrong and believe that it's everybody
else's fault but ours! If you really want to know, we were as much to
blame for being generally do-lally about the claim.
This "sisi" doctrine seems to be deeply embedded in our psyche but let's get over it and move on!
Let's not allow classic INERTIA (Bahala na!) to overcome us just
because it makes us feel better to whine consistently and to look
back to the past to blame the British for all that has gone badly with
Sabah (of which, I must remind Filipinos, are also largely,
hugely responsible for, anyway) and let this politics of blame stop at
the water's edge! Instead, FIND SOLUTIONS TO HOW TO GET THE BLASTED
SABAH BACK or at the very least, find solutions not to allow this
country to be partitioned by radicals, zealots, fanatics, secessionists,
Malaysian warriors by proxy in the southern Philippines with the
treasonous complicity -- again of Govt officials, elected and appointed!
Blaming the Brits for the Sabah debacle ad vitam eternam is not going to help achieve what many Filipinos want, i.e., get Sabah back.
~~~~O~~~~
 |
| British Ambassador
Ahmad |
EDITORIAL
"Ambassador
Ahmad, you've stepped out of line -- you have gone one step too far
when you did that. You showed your true colours if I may say and it is
unacceptable that the Foreign Office should keep you on in your Manila
post because you have misrepresented Her Majesty's Government by being
thoroughly obnoxious to your Philippine hosts. And I must warn you that I
wouldn't be remotely surprised if the Philippine Department of Foreign
Affairs summons you for a bit of a lecture on proper ambassadorial
behaviour and wouldn't astonish me in the least if the PH public demands
that Britain recall you!"
By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for the Sabah Claim Society
21 August 2015
I
am flabbergasted that not one of the esteemed members and opinion
columnists of the Philippine press has reacted to the news report: "UK
envoy: Lack of quorum on BBL unacceptable; British ambassador Asif
Ahmad was reacting to news reports that the lack of quorum was impeding
the passage of the BBL at the 291-member House of Representatives."
But
we on the PSCF say that it is completely, utterly unacceptable
behaviour on the part of the British ambassador to the Philippines to
comment negatively on the internal affairs, workings, governance of a
foreign country like the Philippines!
Asif Ahmad, British envoy
to the Philippines, a solid Muslim, born of a Pakistani father who
became a Bangla Desh diplomat took a swipe at the Philippine
legislature's lack of quorum and so was unable to tackle the BBL
question. Note that Britain is one of the countries that
volunteered to be a member of the "advisory" panel that oversaw
Malaysia's engineering of the Framework Agreement.
I would not
like to presume that Ambassador Ahmad took a swipe at the lack of quorum
in the House of Representatives that was supposed to debate on the
proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law because he had a personal interest in the
Malaysia-MILF engineered BBL. No, I wouldn't like to assume that at
all! Let me just say outright that while the British ambassador's
remarks were technically right, it is thoroughly unacceptable for a
British envoy to interfere in the internal affairs and workings of a
foreign country where he represents Her Majesty's Government. And I
thought British ambassadors and senior members of the British Foreign
Office were a bit more intelligent! I do believe that it is now
unacceptable that the British Foreign Office should count among them, an
envoy of questionable meddling character!
British Ambassador
Ahmad has no effing right to tell us to our face, no matter how noble
his intentions might be that it was unacceptable "that many members of
Congress are not showing up" and to continue with a lecture on how they
do it in the UK House of Commons...Simply unacceptable of the British
Ambassador to do that. What and who gave him the right to say such
things? Certainly not Her Majesty nor Her Majesty's Foreign Office and
definitely not Prime Minister Cameron. So why did he effing open his
mouth to criticise a foreign country's internal governance?
To
His Excellency, Asif Ahmad, British Ambassador to Manila, answer this
question: How would the British Foreign Office, let alone the British
public react if the Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St James
(London) stood up at a social function and told journalists that "It is
unacceptable that the House of Commons acts like a circus during Prime
Minister question time"? and if the Ph ambassador added, "Members of the
British Parliament must act mature and not act like spoiled brats."?
Ambassador
Ahmad, you've stepped out of line -- you have gone one step too far
when you did that. You showed your true colours if I may say and it is
unacceptable that the Foreign Office should keep you on in your Manila
post because you have misrepresented Her Majesty's Government by being
thoroughly obnoxious to your Philippine hosts. And I must warn you that I
wouldn't be remotely surprised if the Philippine Department of Foreign
Affairs summons you for a bit of a lecture on proper ambassadorial
behaviour and wouldn't astonish me in the least if the PH public demands
that Britain recall you!
So, Mr Ambassador, take my counsel: Keep calm and shut up!
~~~~O~~~~
REPORT: UK envoy: lack of quorum unacceptable
British
ambassador Asif Ahmad was reacting to news reports that the lack of
quorum was impeding the passage of the BBL at the 291-member House of
Representatives.
“In
the United Kingdom, either you agree or oppose something. It is your
duty as an elected official to debate and vote. But to hide under a
stone is not doing the job that you are elected to do,” Ahmad told
reporters during a reception he hosted at his residence on Tuesday
night.
The
House of Representatives is in the process of interpolating the draft
BBL, which was based on the peace agreement signed by the Aguino
administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It proposes
establishing a new, autonomous political entity to replace the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
“It is noticeable that many members of Congress are not showing up, which in my view is unacceptable,” Ahmad said.
Britain,
which has its own experience dealing with separatist movements, had
offered the Philippines its advisory assistance in the Mindanao peace
process.
He cited the processes in the UK that led to the Scotland Independence referendum in 2014.–Niña P. Calleja
Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/127515/uk-envoy-lack-of-quorum-on-bbl-unacceptable#ixzz3jTto7SYs
"After
nearly 50 years, it's time for the Philippine Republic and its
government to be brave, to admit officially to the world that PH did
plan to 'invade' Sabah -- and not to give a damn about what Kuala Lumpur
might think or say, to open the "official" records and give due
recognition to those 'unsung, under cover heroes' of the Republic, who
had been embedded in Sabah and who were brutally tortured and murdered
by Malaysia's dreaded ISA in the run up to the denunciation of Operation
Merdeka, so that they may finally rest in peace! The Republic owes them
that..."
By Anne de Bretagne
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for the Sabah Claim Society
21 August 2015
The
following, in a nutshell, is the "infamous" Operation Merdeka, i.e.,
Philippine plan to recover Sabah (before the plan was scuttled):
Operation
Merdeka was originally the brainchild of President Diosdado Macapagal
but its execution was organised by his successor, President Marcos. The
plan was not to wage war against the Suluks in Sabah (Suluks are the
Tausug inhabitants of Sabah) but only to create disturbance in Sabah.
The initial purpose was to INFILTRATE Sabah by sending military trained
Tausugs from Sulu to organise huge rallies, enormous rallies (much like
what Putin did to Crimea) and to catch the Peninsular Malaysians by
surprise... Noting the distance between KL and Kota Kinabalu, Marcos was
banking on the element of surprise, i.e., that it would take Kuala
Lumpur a great deal of time to scramble their fighters and by then
everything would be over. Sabah would be under PH control.
Marcos
had a squadron of the the Philippine Air Force which got ready to fly
over Kota Kinabalu and other towns (in a bid to frighten whatever KL
troops or sentries were there) while the infiltrated troops (Tausugs and
their AFP military handlers) were occupying the most sensitive
positions, hoist the PH FLAG atop every point, blast the announcement
over loudspeakers all over Sabah towns... the PHIL AIR FORCE fighter
aircraft then would fly over to signal that Sabah was retaken! THAT WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE OPERATION MERDEKA
But as ever, Murphy's military
law played its hand: "Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong!"
because Senator Ninoy Aquino, true to the Aquino clan mantra, would
rather sabotage the plan against his own countrys interest to favour the
Peninsular Malaysians -- God knows we know not why -- just as Senator
Sumulong (his 'uncle-in-law) had done before him and just as his son is
doing today.
And what the Filipino public hardly knows about is
what happened after Operation Merdeka was denounced: Filipinos under
cover, on mission for the Republic were captured, ruthlessly tortured,
killed, and are buried in the recesses of Sabah.
Understand that
there were already hundreds of PH assets, military and para-military who
had gone under cover and had infiltrated Sabah* (long before the
so-called or the sensationalised "Jabidah-Corregidor Massacre" victims);
they had already been sent to Sabah, had been lying under cover all
over Sabah in preparation for the 'Operation' and who were caught in the
quagmire in Sabah (North Borneo) after Sen Ninoy Aquino denounced the
operation on the Senate pulpit.
Kuala
Lumpur's intel agencies, led by Malaysia's dreaded ISA, moved with
lightning speed, captured many of them, tortured and killed many, many
of them -- impossible to determine today the number of Filipino
para-military and military infiltrates in Sabah who were ruthlessly
tortured and summarily executed unless we open PH Government records
officially. A horrendous end for these Filipinos who were on mission for
the Republic but who remain officially nameless today. They were
Filipinos.
*NB: These Operation Merdeka assets had already
infiltrated Sabah as moles, plants, sleepers, undercover agents, etc.,
long before the sensationalised "Jabidah Massacre" and were not the
"Tausug trainees' referred to in the Corregidor-Jabidah Massacre episode
exposed by Senator Ninoy Aquino and who were still being groomed
precisely to join these assets that had already been embedded in Sabah.
The embedded assets in Sabah fell victims to Malaysia's killer hands
following the denunciation of the Operation in the Senate by Senator
Ninoy Aquino.
Until
today, many of -- if not all, those nameless PH casualties cannot be
officially recognised by our government, cannot be given proper burial,
or even just be given proper honours, because to officially recognise
them as Operation Merdeka heroes, PH must admit to having planned and
partly executed the invasion of Sabah and that just cannot be done
according to PH government. So, today, there are many unsung heroes,
casualties of this "silent, undeclared war", buried in Sabah without
recognition from their government for what they have done in the name of
the Republic. But Malaysia knows the crimes it has committed on these
people in 1968 and knows that PH doesn't give a damn about them.
It's
time to face what happened in Sabah after the scuttling of Operation
Merdeka nearly 50 years ago to honour those Filipinos who were sent on a
covert mission but never came back because they were captured, tortured
and killed by Malaysia if only to give them proper burial.
After
almost 50 years, it's time for the Philippine Republic and its
government to be brave, to admit officially to the world that PH did
plan to 'invade' Sabah -- and not to give a damn about what Kuala Lumpur
might think or say, to open the "official" records and give due
recognition to those 'unsung, under cover heroes' of the Republic who
were brutally tortured and murdered by Malaysia's dreaded ISA in the run
up to the denunciation of Operation Merdeka so that they may finally rest in peace! The Republic owes them that...
