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| Seeking safety: Residents of Kampung Tanjung Labian fleeing their homes on foot on the sixth day of Ops Daulat. — Bernama |
LAHAD DATU: Worried Filipinos are fleeing the east coast of
Sabah as the operation to flush out remnants of the Sulu armed group continues.
Using whatever boats available to get past a tight blockade
enforced by Malaysia and the Philippines, hordes of them have been arriving in
Tawi-Tawi since last week.
Tawi-Tawi Governor Sadikul Sahali said some 600 people,
mostly women and children of Suluk origin, had reached Bongoa, less then an
hour from here, as of yesterday.
“We are providing temporary shelter and food until they
return to their respective provinces,” he said, adding that all those who
arrived had no links to Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram, the leader of the armed
intruders.
He said most of them told the authorities that they returned
voluntarily as they were frightened of being caught in the crossfire over the
ongoing operations against the Sulu gunmen.
“As Tausugs (identified as Suluks in Sabah) they fear
reprisal, that is why they left,” he said.
Sadikul also confirmed that the prices of essential goods,
such as rice and sugar as well as diesel and petrol, had gone up by 50% to 80%.
Barter trading between the Tawi-Tawi chain of islands and
Sabah has virtually ground to a halt and the province has to get its supplies
from Zamboanga in southern Philippines.
Sadikul also said that the Philippine military and
coastguards were maintaining their blockade and not allowing any Filipinos to
leave for Sabah.
Meanwhile, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib
dismissed Philippine media reports that their citizens were mistreated by
Malaysian authorities.
“I strongly deny that. They can say anything but the focus
of our operation is only in the two areas of Kampung Tanduo and Kampung Tanjung
Batu,” he said.
Hamza denied another report that shots were fired at
Filipinos who were leaving Sandakan.
