3 skeletons in 'Sulu military uniform' found in Sabah

Three skeletons believed to be those of fallen followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III were found in an area of Sabah where the followers clashed with Malaysian security forces in March.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said the skeletons, clad in so-called "Sulu military uniforms" were found in some bushes, Malaysia's The Star Online reported late Friday.

The report said the skeletons were found in the Tanjung Batu area in Lahad Datu.

A separate report on state-run Bernama news agency said Malaysian security forces "stumbled" on the skeletal remains Thursday.

Bernama said the security forces also seized a firearm, several bullets and documents which indicated the deceased were "Sulu terrorists."

Hamza said an initial investigation showed the deceased were either shot dead on March 6, or when the security forces mounted clean-up operations in Kampung Tanjung Batu.

"We have not ruled out the possibility that the three terrorists could have died from injuries while fleeing from security forces," he said.

The Bernama report said this brought to 59 the number of bodies of suspected Kiram followers found by the security forces, while the total number Kiram followers shot dead stands at 73.

Kiram's followers had engaged Malaysian forces in a three-week standoff last February. The standoff ended in deadly clashes last March 1 and 2.

In turn, the deadly clashes prompted Malaysian security forces to conduct offensives against the Kiram followers.

Kiram said he sent his followers to Sabah to reclaim their homeland as efforts to get it back from Malaysia has been relegated to the backburner by the Philippine government.

Meanwhile, Hamza said 31 out of the 184 people arrested under the Security Offenses (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) have been charged in court

Scorpene submarines are fully operational, Navy chief reiterates

Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar has again reiterated that the Scorpene submarines are well maintained and capable of carrying out operations to maintain national security.

In fact, he said, the submarines had carried out numerous operations under his instructions.

“The matter is most regretful. I call on the people concerned to stop making these wild allegations,” he told a media group who were taken on a visit to the Kota Kinabalu RMN Base on Sunday and Monday.

The media group were also taken on a tour of the Scorpene submarines which were purchased from France at a price of RM3.4 billion. The submarines were named KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Razak.

Abdul Aziz was commenting on the statement by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi earlier that the action of several groups, particularly the opposition, who frequently disputed the acquisition of the national defence assets would only have a negative impact on the country’s security forces.

A crewmember of the KD Tun Razak submarine, Lieutenant Commander Saidin Ibrahim, 31, said he had long heard of allegations by the opposition that the submarines were not capable of carrying out operations.

He said the false accusation had in fact inspired him to prove to the parties concerned that Malaysia had acquired a valuable asset for the defence of the nation after he had undergone a four-year submarine training stint in France.

“I was among the crew members involved in the operation to bring home the KD Tun Razak submarine which took 60 days with five stopovers from France. It was brought home with 100 per cent local crew and had operated well,” he said.

Malaysia says purchase of submarines followed legal procedures

Malaysia’s Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Auditor-General has already explained that the purchase of Scorpene submarines was made according to legal procedures and his official report must be accepted by all.

In response to the opposition’s plan to bring in a French lawyer, William Bourdon, to brief the Malaysian lawmakers on court proceedings in France on the purchase of the submarines, Zahid hoped no side would twist the existing facts on the matter.

He was also in the opinion “that the lawyer was invited to Malaysia by the opposition merely with political motive and not so much for legal business.”

Prime Minister Najib Razak has already dismissed the charges, which include allegations of corruption in the $1.1 billion submarine purchase in 2002.

Still, Malaysia’s online media in the past couple of months have been active, charging the now Prime Minister with new “evidence” that opposition-leaning rights group Suaram and its lawyers say has been turned up by French judges probing the case.

The claims come at a sensitive time for Najib, who is preparing for elections, which he is expected to call soon.

They include an allegation that a classified Malaysian defense ministry report on the country’s naval needs was sold to submarine maker Thales, possibly to help the French firm land the $1.1 billion deal.