Keeping a close eye: General Operations Force personnel patrolling Kampung Tanduo where some armed men are holed up around a mosque.

CENDERAWASIH (Lahad Datu): A Sulu Sultan has been called in to resolve a standoff between Malaysian security forces and a group of armed men holed up around a mosque in Kampung Tanduo in Felda Sahabat 17.

Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, a descendant of the Sulu Sultanate and a relative of the armed group leader, is expected to help find a peaceful solution to the standoff that entered its fourth day yesterday.

The leader of the armed group has been identified as Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram, who had been negotiating with the Malaysian emissaries since Tuesday.

Azzimudie, who was dressed in white robes, was said to have been an assistant district officer of Kudat during the time of former chief minister Tun Datu Mustapha Harun between 1967 and 1976.

Azzimudie also met another relative of the Sulu Sultan, who was brought in from Kuala Lumpur.

He has yet to respond to requests by emissaries to “go home”.

The emissaries are hoping for the group to give up their demands for their ancestral land of the Sulu Sultanate. Sultan Jamalul is expected to come by boat from the southern Philippines.

Azzimudie, who spoke to the emissaries in English, showed them documents of the ancestral claim to Sabah.

He was staying in a house of a man in his 60s called “Pakcik Umrah” (Uncle Umrah).

Umrah and his wife is the only local family remaining in Kampung Tanduo, while the other families from 15 houses have moved in with relatives in Tanjung Labian, about 30km away.

The number of armed men has increased from 30 from Saturday to about 300 at time of writing.

The group comprises of Tausugs and Bajaus from Basilan, Jolo and Tawi Tawi, and had arrived in several boats since Saturday.

Most of them, aged from 20 to 60, were in dressed in black and grey military fatigues and armed with M16 rifles, M14 grenade launchers and Colt 45 pistols.

At least six camps have been set up there.

A villager, who returned to check on his house, said the foreigners did not enter the vacant houses and were living off whatever that was grown in the village.

Malaysian security forces have locked down all routes in the Felda Sahabat 17 oil palm plantation leading to Kampung Tanduo.

Only food and water were allowed to be brought in as negotiations were going on.

Patrol boats from the security agencies have blocked off entry from the southern Philippines, whose closest islands are Sipangkut and Sibutu, which can be reached by boat within 15 minutes.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said the police had contingency plans in the event the talks broke down.

“We are optimistic that the situation will be resolved very soon with the group returning to their home country,” he said yesterday.

Hamza said Malaysian authorities were also in contact with Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F del Rosario.

Related Stories:
Abu Sayyaf strikes fear among villagers
Philippines claim on Sabah a thorn in relations

• IHH Healthcare earnings up 3.6% to RM127.27m
• Petronas Dagangan Q1 earnings down 3.7% to RM237m
• Japan's tumble drags key regional, European markets lower (Update)
• KUB in JV with Singapore's Hiap Seng for Petronas project
• TDM to plant 5,000ha of new trees every year in Kalimantan
• KLCI falls to low of 1,765, rattled by Japan, HK
• Japan stocks crash on volatile bonds, weak China data; Nikkei ends down 7.3%
• MISC posts RM300m net profit in Q1, sees challenging year ahead (Update)
• KL Kepong slips to low of RM21.36 as quarterly profit drops
• Maybank's Q1 earnings up 11.8% to RM1.506b (Update)
• Lafarge Cement positive on markets, mulls expanding capacity
• Dayang Enterprise awards RM705m contract to Perdana Petroleum
• KLCI pauses, Japan, Hong Kong key indices slide (Update)
• ECM Libra plans to exit PN17 by year-end
• China HSBC flash PMI hits 7-mth low, fans growth fears

• Ranger, militant killed in Thai south shootout
• Japan man, 80, scales Everest, sets record
• Philippines vows to defend territory against China
• S. Korean girl killed by suicide jumper
• Ecuador warns satellite could hit rocket remains
• Short-story writer Davis wins Booker International Prize
• Two babies among US tornado victims
• Anti-Islamist protests flare following London attack
• 'British solider' butchered in suspected Islamist attack (Updated)

• Rugby: Former All Black coach Henry on misconduct charge
• Ice queen Nicol into British Open quarters
• Australia to consider following ban on anchor putters
• Intxausti wins 16th stage, Nibali still keeps pink jersey
• Indonesia drawn to meet China again – in knockout stage
• Results worldwide
• Malacca sprinter Mohd Azam Masri out to create history by winning five events in MSSM meet
• Athletics runs in the veins of Vallabouy family
• Chinese long jumper Jinzhe claims another Olympic scalp
• Dane Jorgensen’s wish is to avoid Chinese ace Lin Dan in World Championships
• National badminton team’s lack of depth a glaring factor in home tourney
• Khim Wah-V Shem perform above expectations in Sudirman Cup debut
• Jindapon aims to qualify for 2016 Olympics
• Kenichi’s goal is to take Japan into Sudirman Cup semi-finals
• Dong-keun shows he’s a capable replacement

• Please wait.

• Actress’ barking pet saves her from attacker in late night incident
• Transport Ministry reveals new FT registration plate to start with W1A
• In China, food scares put Mao's self-sufficiency goal at risk
• Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim, Tamrin Ghafar to spend the night in lockup (Update)
• What comes after WYY?
• Verdict ends three years of restlessness for family, says Sosilawati's daughter
• All four accused guilty in murder of Sosilawati Lawiya and three others (Update)
• Chromebook to help rural pupils leapfrog into parity with urban peers
• Astro and Maxis to deliver new-age TV service in Klang Valley
• Japan's wartime brothels were wrong, says 91-year-old veteran