Many unhappy with Tanduo remarks

Mohamaddin’s comments that 2013 intrusion was a show to gain votes court anger

Parti Warisan Sabah’s Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi found himself in the soup after a video showed him belittling the 2013 Tanduo intrusion while on his campaign trail in Segama and it has rubbed many people the wrong way.

The Lahad Datu MP, who is contesting in an eight-cornered fight there, claimed the 2013 shootout with Sulu militants was “just a show” to gain votes and help Barisan Nasional win the 13th General Election.

However, Mohamaddin said the two-and-ahalf minute video was taken out of context and was spread by people who wanted to see Warisan lose the election.

“My words were not meant to offend the security forces but to throw a spotlight on Barisan’s failure to properly secure Sabah’s borders.

“It was never my intention to trivialise nor disgrace our security forces who fought bravely to protect our land from invaders,” he said.

Mohamaddin said he intended to show the forces’ challenging mission, which they did not have to face if Barisan had effectively resolved the illegal immigrant problem when they were in power.

He said the video of his speech should have been played in full to give viewers the context of his speech and condemned the tactic as a ploy to bring down Warisan.

“Despite all that, I seek forgiveness from all our security forces if my words in that video that was spread with ill-intention, provoked them,” he said.

The video courted fiery backlashes from his opponents.

Sabah Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin called the statement “childish” and “insensitive”.

Bung Moktar said he hoped candidates contesting in the state election would be more careful when making speeches.

He said Mohamaddin’s statement could hurt the families and friends of those who died defending the area.

“They are fallen warriors, so naturally their family’s feelings would have been hurt by how Mohamaddin trivialised the incident,” he said.

Bung Moktar also said people should choose wisely in the election.

“We don’t need comedians but leaders who can bring continued development for the sake of the people,” he said.

A Barisan candidate in Tg Batu, Andi Suryandi Bandy, lodged a report over Mohamaddin’s speech.

Parti Cinta Sabah president Datuk Seri Anifah Aman also slammed Mohamaddin’s remark, calling it an “act of treason” against Sabah.

“Where is the respect for our security forces who were killed defending our sovereignty?” he said, adding that 10 soldiers died fighting off the 235 invaders who landed in Tanduo.

In his speech, Mohamaddin claimed that military aircraft and tanks were deployed to Tanduo, some 37km from Lahad Datu town, to fight off invaders but destroyed oil palm plantations instead.

He said the only enemies the military had to fight off were “chickens and dogs” and claimed that the “show” was over after the 13th General Election results were announced.

He also claimed that in his travels to the area, he had never encountered any invaders who tried to claim Sabah as theirs.