Sabah Standoff Stricken Traders

The ongoing standoff in the island of Sabah has been continuously affecting the region. The trade and commerce between the island and its neighbouring towns have also been affected as naval forces of both Malaysia and the Philippines tighten the security across the border to ensure that the tension will not escalate.

Business sector urges the Aquino administration to solve the issue immediately before things get worse. They were also planning to set a meeting with the President to talk about the issue and formulate measures on how to counter its possible effects.

According to Tawi-Tawi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. President Rolando E. Lim, wooden vessels of traders regularly plying the Sabah - Bongcao route is being intercepted by the Navy officials and disallowing them to travel due to the ongoing standoff.

On his interview with the BusinessWorld, Mr. Lim said they worried on the possible effects of the incident on the local economy of the region. "Definitely, prices of goods here will increase since more than 80% of our basic goods such as such rice, flour, and sugar are imported from Sabah.”

Most of the basic products being sold in the southern tip of Mindanao are coming from the port of Sandakan due to its proximity that makes the prices lower compared to products coming from Zamboanga City.

On the other hand, farmers and oil palm smallholders in Sabah have also raised their concern as the ongoing standoff affects their industry.

Authorities are not allowing them to enter the vicinity of Kampung Tanduo at Felda Sahabat 17, some 170 kilometres from this east coast town, to harvest their oil palm and other farm crops.

Farmers were advised not to enter the cordoned-off area around Kampung Tanduo, where the so-called Royal Sulu Sultanate Army had raised yellow flags with a lion insignia outside a surau (prayer house).

The ongoing standoff between the Malaysian authorities and the armed men who claimed to be the ‘Royal army of the Sultanate of Sulu’ seems to last for more weeks as tension heats up between the two parties.

Both the Philippines and Malaysian government is working together to end the conflict and to avoid any bloodshed to happen by asking the armed Filipinos to leave peacefully and avoid injecting their inherited rights by occupying the island. Instead, both governments urged the Sulu army to discuss the issue in accordance with the law and in a peaceful manner.

The Sultanate claims over Sabah was based on the historical facts showing that the Island is under the rule of the Sultanate of Sulu before it was being leased by the British East India Company and turned after to the Malaysian Government when it declares independence on August 31, 1963. An act that according to the heirs of the Sultanate violated the lease agreement between the said British company and the Sultanate of Sulu.

Although the situation remains peaceful, the effects of the standoff seems already been escalating on various sector of the communities with the business industry facing the great threat of the tension next to security. And that could also affect the future of Mindanao which had a much brighter future after the signing of the peace agreement between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

As the situation continued to be left unresolved, conflicts and standoff could also be possibly happened repeatedly. We could not set aside the fact the sultanate of Sulu really has undisputable rights over the island with their legal papers and historical records supporting their claim. But everything must undergo into a legal process. And this issue needs an intervention of an international body such as the United Nation (UN) to conduct further studies and investigations. – Vic Saure (February 22, 2013 4:40AM)