LAHAD DATU: Malaysia has extended the deadline for the Sulu armed group to move out of Tanduo village and return home to today, following a request from the Philippines.

The Philippine Government had earlier asked for the deadline to be set for Tuesday to allow them to persuade Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to order his brother Azzimudie Kiram and the armed group of more than 100 to get out of Tanduo village in Felda Sahabat 17 where they have been holed up since Feb 9.

The request was made to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman by his Philippine counterpart Albert del Rosario after the expiry of the Friday deadline.

Anifah, however, told The Star that he had conveyed the decision on the new Sunday deadline to Rosario.

“We are hoping the stand-off will end peacefully with the latest deadline,” he said, echoing Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein's statement that he wanted the two-week stand-off to “end sooner than later” without bloodshed.

Hishammuddin told reporters in Kluang that the extended period would not be too long as his ministry would leave it to the security forces to conduct an operation to end the stand-off.

He said the Tanduo incident was different from the country's past experience with armed groups such as Al-Maunah, Abu Sayyaf and Jemayah Islamiah as this group claimed to be descendents of the Sulu sultanate.

However, he said the country's sovereignty and the pride of the Sabah people must not be taken for granted.

The priority of the armed forces was to defuse the situation without bloodshed as it could affect Malaysia's good relationship with the Philippines, he said, adding that the preparation for the deportation of the Sulu group “is in the final stage”.

As the Philippine Government tries to persuade the Sulu Sultan to take their Sabah claim demand to a diplomatic level, the Kiram family has been adamant and had asked Azzimudie's group to stay put in Tanduo.

Although emissaries have been negotiating with Azzimudie, the political pressure in Manila has been mounting on President Benigno Aquino and his Cabinet to resurrect the long dormant Sabah claim following talk that the Oct 15 peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front had left out the Sulu sultanate as well as Nur Misuari's Moro National Liberation Front.

To help defuse and bring the stand-off to a peaceful conclusion, Philippine Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said he and his Malaysian counterpart, including the armed forces of both countries, were closely coordinating their actions and exchanging information.

Gazmin said the Philippine military had enforced a naval blockade in the Sulu Sea to prevent undocumented Filipinos from entering Sabah as reports emerged that other groups from southern Philippines were poised to help Azzimudie's gunmen.

Stating that the Sulu group was pursuing its Sabah claim the wrong way, Gazmin revealed that six navy ships and a transport vessel were on standby in Tawi Tawi, about a 15-minute fast boat ride to Tanduo village.

• Kulim to take New Britain Palm Oil Ltd private?
• Nusa Gapurna rejects PKNS offer to up stake in PJ Sentral
• AirAsia wants no further delays in opening of new low-cost terminal KLIA2
• AirAsia signs RM27.5bil engine deal
• AirAsia X shares worth up to RM1.66 each
• Use of psychometrics assessment for employees can be controversial
• Low bids for Hwang-DBS due to the banking group’s poor Q3 results
• Reality check on Asean Economic Community, is it rather ambitious?
• Sumatec shareholders to vote on Kazakhstan oil and gas asset buy
• Genting’s Aussie move a surprise
• 3 parties said to be in talks to take over Luster
• MISC to consolidate ops by strengthen footing by re-balancing portfolio and income mix
• Malaysian market closes lower
• Pos Malaysia proposes 9.5 sen final dividend
• Stability boost for UEM Sunrise project in Iskandar

• Singapore smog reaches record high (Updated)
• India monsoon floods leave 138 dead
• Turkey's 'silent man' vigils go on as protests fizzle out
• French floods claim first victim, Lourdes remains closed
• Thousands evacuated after blasts at Russian arms depot
• Bieber off hook after car hits photographer
• Mexico arrests man on FBI's top 10 Most Wanted list
• Disabled woman, US child held captive with snakes
• World's largest all-solar-powered boat shines in NYC
• Samoan airline introduces 'XL' class
• West Africa has world's worst piracy rate
• Congolese teacher admits killing elephants for ivory: WWF
• NASA enlists public in hunt for major asteroids

• Paul Revington is glad to be back to train the Malaysian team
• Heavy task on Faizal’s shoulders
• Singapore Open: Chong Wei Feng fights to survive
• Rachel owes her rich vein of form to change in technique
• Future looks gloomy for men’s squash when Beng Hee calls it a day
• Gavin Green confident he can take on title-holders this weekend
• Zhang switches focus on developing golf in China
• Thaworn hopes to find his ‘A’ game in Selangor Masters
• Khairy: RM8mil to be forked out for Sukma due to lack of sponsorship
• A chance for local cyclists to shine
• Rahul survives weekend of harsh hurdles in Norfolk
• MGF set wheels in motion to unearth young talents
• Steady as Jie goes
• Ferrer loses title after opening round loss
• Heat edge Spurs in overtime to force Game 7 in NBA Finals

• Please wait.

• Ex-judge calls for rebranding of vernacular schools
• Want a gun? Just print it out
• Inter-Pacific Research values AirAsia X at RM1.66
• Boy nabbed for buying air rifles
• Penang freak storm: Video clip of lightning arrester collapse uploaded on YouTube
• Perodua expects more competitive auto business environment
• AIA and Public Bank offer new insurance plans
• Nazir Razak: Rising likelihood of major reversal of hot money out from Asia
• MAHB sets May 2, 2014 as KLIA2 revised opening date
• Fitch Affirms Genting and Genting Singapore at 'A-'/ Stable