More than enough reason to come back home!

The latest news as of this writing is that Malaysian forces have stormed the “royal army” of the Sultan of Sulu with a lot of firepower, using their modern jets to attack the more than three hundred of Jamalul Kiram III followers who have been holed up in Lahad Datu for over three weeks. After talks, pleas and negotiations to end the standoff, interspersed with sporadic firefights resulting in deaths from both sides, have failed, Prime Minister Najib Razak decided to end the crisis. Reports have not yet come in as to how many of Kiram's followers were killed or captured, but Malaysian news agencies are already saying that the socalled royal army has been totally defeated.

Still, the Sultan, through his spokesperson, remains defiant, again saying that whatever forces are still there on Sabah will never surrender, and will fight to the death! Then you hear his spokesperson saying that Kiram's men fear for their lives! I mean, what's it really going to be? What were they thinking when they set out on their boats and sailed towards Sabah to claim it? That the local government would just hand it over, based on history? If there is anything the world has learned in the past decade, it is that land cannot be taken by armed force, as it will be met with the same. The Falkland Islands, Kuwait, Afghanistan, even Vietnam! In all these conflicts, the occupying army has always been defeated, not to mention being criticized in world opinion.

The Palace is also being criticized for not defending the Sultan, or even talking to him. Hasn't the President himself been pleading for the Sultan's followers to come back home, so the issue concerning Sabah can be tackled in a more formal, and definitely peaceful manner? What was the Sultan's perennial response? That they will not give their claim and will not surrender, right?

So here we are. Waiting and watching as events unfold in a place where we technically cannot do anything to intervene, nor help. Kiram's men went on their own and they chose the path that is being traveled right now. If they fear for their lives, as the Sultan's spokesperson has stated, then they should just surrender, and come back home. The issue of Sabah has now been brought to the spotlight. If anything, they have achieved this. I'm hopeful that it will be tackled in a much better manner. But they must leave Sabah, armed or unarmed. They have been shown the folly of their ways, with the blood of their brothers serving as currency. That should be more than enough reason to stop. It should be.

‘ Hasn't the President himself been pleading for the Sultan's followers to come back home, so the issue concerning Sabah can be tackled in a more formal, and definitely peaceful manner?’