Meetings discussed recognition of Suluks in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: An accused who faces a charge of committing terrorism acts, testified in the High Court yesterday that he had attended meetings between the late Sulu sultan Datu Esmail Kiram and the Malaysian government, which highlighted, among others, the recognition of Suluks residing a long time in Sabah as locals.

Julham Rashid, 69, who is the 17th person to testify before Justice Stephen Chung, said that during these meetings the Sabah claim and status of passes for the Suluk community here were discussed.

The witness, when examined in chief by counsel Majnah Abdullah, said he was glad for these meetings because he would be given an identity card (IC) and could work legally in Malaysia.

Majnah: “What were the outcomes of these meetings?”

Julham: “Sultan Esmail appointed me as a ‘panglima’ in 2007, and in 2008, I was appointed a ‘maharadja’. During one of the meetings, sultan Esmail advised me not to follow the other sultans who came to Sabah, including his own brother, the late Raja Muda Datu Agbimuddin Kiram.”

To a question by Majnah, Julham, who opted to testify under oath and spoke in Suluk, said he wielded no power as a panglima and maharadja.

“I was only asked to provide identification documents (IDs) to the Suluk people so that they can be identified, as their names would be submitted to a higher authority in the Malaysian government to apply for an IC.

“The IDs were issued by one Hassan Bacho, who was someone trusted by the sultan,” said Julham, who hails from Lapa, Maimbong in Jolo, Philippines, but has been staying in Sabah since 1981 and has never returned to his hometown since then.

Meanwhile, under cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, Julham said that sultan Esmail had never said anything about a war as he only wanted to help in religious matters by appointing him and others as panglima to educate the youngsters.

To a question by Mohd Dusuki, Julham said that the Royal Sulu Force (RSF) and being a panglima were two different things. If the sultan asked him to do something good, he would obey his orders.

“Since the time sultan Esmail came to Sabah, he had never mentioned about any fight as he placed peace as his first priority,” Julham testified, adding that, he never heard about Kampung Tanduo before the intrusion.

Mohd Dusuki: “When Datu Esmail came to Sabah in 2007, 2008 and 2012, did his son Datu Amirbahar Hushin Kiram follow him?”

Julham: “I only saw Datu Amirbahar once in 2012.”

Mohd Dusuki: “What did he do when he came to Sabah in 2012?”

Julham: I do not know, but in one of the meetings, he had discussed about the Suluk people and the issue of ICs.

To a suggestion by Mohd Dusuki, Julham affirmed that sultan Esmail had come to Sabah in January 2013 and had slept at his house and he was given books on Spirit on Nationalism among the Sulu People.

To another question by Mohd Dusuki, Julham also said that before sultan Esmail left his house, he had given a certain amount of money to him to be given to the Suluk community in Madai, Semporna.

Another accused, a carpenter, testified that he was happy over the discussion between the Malaysian authority and the Sulu gunmen leader as it was something important.

Under cross-examination by Mohd Dusuki, Virgilio Nemar Patulada, 52, said he was quite happy because that was what he had been waiting for even though he did not know what they were discussing at that time.

“I did ask the security personnel there when we would be getting the identity cards and jobs but the security personnel only asked us to wait,” said Virgilio, who gave his evidence under oath and spoke in Badjao.

The witness also said that he was not present when they were discussing and that was why he did not know what the discussion all about.

To another suggestion by Mohd Dusuki, Virgilio disagreed that whatever roles he held when at Kampung Tanduo had contributed to the act of waging war against the King and the Government of Malaysia.

The trial will continue today.

 

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