IT’S been 10 years since a group of Sulu gunmen loyal to the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, intruded into Lahad Datu in Sabah on Feb 9, 2013.

There were two fronts – one group landed in Lahad Datu’s coastal Kampung Tandao and another at Kampung Simunul in Semporna town.

As the fighting broke out between our security forces and these attackers, which led to casualties on both sides, I headed for Simunul.

I arrived at the sprawling village, with houses on stilts on the outskirts of Semporna, just a couple of days after six policemen were gruesomely killed.

The police immediately carried out a mop-up operation which saw seven of these Filipinos killed and even as I landed, the near deserted village remained a security risk.

Ten years later, I am still asking myself what made me decide to go to Kampung Siminul, the largest of the squatter colonies scattered along the Sabah coastline.

It remains a maze of rickety walkways and when I walked in then, it hit me immediately: why our brave policemen got lost inside and found themselves trapped by seven heavily- armed attackers.

I took a one-and-a-half-hour journey by road from Lahad Datu to Semporna, a distance of about 140km.

At Kampung Simunul, most of its thousands of settlers, mainly Suluk, had disappeared, with their homes locked up and belongings removed to safer places.

But several villagers had steadfastly remained, saying they did not want to camp out in a school hall or community centre.

My colleague from the Kota Kinabalu bureau, Muguntan Vanar, had made calls to local contacts to guide us into the village. I told myself we were taking a huge risk, but it was for a scoop. My dear wife, who is adventurous by nature, was crazy enough to follow me in.

I remember getting a call from a senior police officer demanding to know what we were doing there without informing the police!

It was a frightening time. No one knew the actual size of this village. Some said there were between 300 and 500 houses in there, while others claim that the number was closer to 1,000.

Today, not much has changed, I am told.

This is home to the Suluks, who fled the southern Philippines in the 1970s during the civil war in Mindanao. They had originally settled in refugee enclaves set up by the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, but some had since become Malaysian citizens, while a large number probably had no documents with them.

The water village has a reputation for harbouring bad hats, and the locals avoid entering the area.

It is difficult to navigate the maze of wooden boardwalks, and in the incident on March 5, 2013, that was how our policemen were ambushed as they lost their way in this place.

When I walked into Lorong 4 with my colleagues, we felt like we were being watched by figures in the shadows. An elderly man approached us and asked what we were doing there. He seemed a little friendlier when we told him we were from the media.

“Do you want to see the bullet holes and the spots where the three gunmen were killed?” he offered, as a few others suddenly appeared to join us.

I had to watch my step, as one could easily fall into the water as the boardwalk had many gaping holes.

“The water below was filled with all sorts of rubbish, and a horrible stench emanated from it. I could not help wondering how these people live in such filthy conditions,’’ I wrote in my article in 2013.

We had to take a detour to reach Lorong 5, where the fight took place, because village headman Ramli Sara-man had ordered the boardwalk from Lorong 4 to be broken down as a symbolic gesture to show the “bad men” were from Lorong 5.

They showed us a home that was riddled with bullet holes and pointed out the spots where three of the intruders were killed, and their bodies left untouched for three days.

One was on a boat, one on the walkway and another on the verandah of a home. The splattered blood, close to where the bodies were found, was still very visible when we arrived.

The bodies, which included that of a Filipino councillor of Pulau Sitangkai in the southern Philippines, were eventually removed for burial by the religious authorities.

But the superstitious villagers excused themselves when we walked towards the abandoned home where a policeman was beheaded, saying they did not want to go into that “house of evil”.

We saw what appeared to be the remains of human tissue – it looked like parts of a human brain – by the wooden entrance.

Today, as I read news reports of the heirs of the so-called Sulu Sultanate taking legal action to seize our national assets, I am infuriated.

Not many Malaysians are aware that two of our men in blue were beheaded while another had his eyes gouged out. That was how cruel these intruders were.

I remember walking inside the house even as I thought of the horrible and cruel acts that had been carried out by these heartless militants.

I felt angry and sad at the same time, wondering how human beings could carry out such brutal acts.

The television set had clear traces of blood, which horrified me. The walls of the home were adorned with family photographs, like most ordinary homes, except that something extraordinarily evil had taken place right there.

None of us wanted to stay longer than necessary in that place. As we walked out of the village, we came across a young boy who had come back to collect some of his belongings, saying the family was not ready to move back in.

The men we met said they feared more gunmen may come back and, more so, they feared repercussions from our security men. They said they were just ordinary people trying to eke out a living in peaceful Malaysia, but these militants had given the Suluks a bad name.

Ironically, the word “Semporna” is said to mean “a place of rest” or “a journey completed”, but it wasn’t so.

Many Malaysians have long questioned the influx of these foreigners into Malaysia, especially in Sabah, and if we do not take a stronger, even harsher, stand against such easy entry into our country, we only have ourselves to blame when security threats arise.

Semporna is the gateway to Sipadan, one of the world’s most beautiful diving spots, but it should never be a gateway for illegal immigrants.

It remains a huge dump site, an embarrassing eyesore to tourists, with the local council continuing to struggle with the bad practices of the people living there.

It is 10 years later, and we need to ask ourselves – have we put in enough resources, manpower and assets for our security to keep our long coastal line safe? Safe from these Sulu intruders whose families are hanging on to dreams of reclaiming what they think are their ancestral rights.

Cosplay convention? : The Himpit parade participants, dressed in medieval militant garb with a green theme, also carried fake swords, spears, bows and arrows. – Facebook

NO one would bat an eyelid if someone walked around Kuala Lumpur’s busy Bukit Bintang area dressed up as an anime or superhero character.

Everyone would just assume that the person was heading for a cosplay event. But it’s something else when PAS members arm themselves with fake weapons in rural Setiu, Terengganu.

PAS has never been known to endorse such performance art, but since last week, following the controversial parade comprising PAS members brandishing fake swords, spears, bows and arrows, cosplay has become the buzzword of party leaders.

The march was reportedly part of a two-day PAS Youth gathering dubbed “Himpunan Pemuda Islam Terengganu” (Himpit).

There was also a pickup truck with a huge fake sword in its cargo bed while some participants, dressed in medieval militant garb with a green theme, were seen standing in the same crammed space.

The gathering has caused concern because the Islamist party has a blemished past. Its leadership may not endorse violence or militancy of any kind, but given the party’s track record, questions have obviously been raised.

The defenders of the parade should not blame non-Muslims for their conjecture because criticism came from the Malays as well. So there’s no need to play the race-religion card. It’s pathetic to resort to such a tactic.

PAS, predictably, fended off criticisms against the party with the routine line of “anti-Islam and Islamophobia”, but the truth is that PAS is just another political party led by ordinary human beings with political expediency and ambitions.

It may be still uncomfortable to talk about the Memali incident after nearly 40 years, but in that 1985 tragedy, police had to lay siege to a village in Baling, Kedah, which was occupied by Ibrahim Mahmud aka Ibrahim Libya.

The incident resulted in the deaths of 14 villagers including Ibrahim, an active PAS member, and four policemen. Ibrahim, who had studied Islam in Tripoli, Libya, contested twice as a PAS candidate in two general elections but lost narrowly to Barisan Nasional.

The villagers were armed with machetes, sharpened bamboo rods and other weapons.

It’s a sad part of the nation’s history with a deadly ending, when clashes between Umno and PAS peaked with Umno members declared infidels (apostates) and those who died as al-shahid (martyrs) by PAS.

PAS members have also been involved in terrorist activities. That is a fact, although the party has issued immediate statements each time to distance itself from these individual acts, including resorting to expulsions from the party.

In 2014, PAS activist Mohd Lofti Ariffin aka Abu Afghan, 46, was killed in an assault by Syrian government forces. He claimed he was fighting for the Ajnad-al-Sham faction, a breakaway from the Islamic State (IS) group.

Another Malaysian fighter, Mohammad Fadhlan Shahidi, was also killed in the incident.

Mohd Lofti, a former Kedah PAS information chief, had attracted a large following on social media with regular posts of pictures, videos, and calls for jihad from the Syrian frontline.

The veteran jihadist had also fought in Afghanistan against the Russians and was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) upon returning to Malaysia.

But what was disturbing following his death in Syria was the eulogising on social media by several PAS personalities, underlining sympathy for the militants’ cause that created a security headache for the Malaysian government.

One senior PAS leader praised Lotfi as a “martyr” in a Facebook post and reportedly recounted a religious anecdote from what he said was Lotfi’s final visit to Malaysia in 2013 when he helped with PAS flood-relief efforts.

But the party had also said Lofti’s membership had been terminated earlier and that it disavowed militant actions.

In 2014, the party sacked three party members who were among five people wanted by police for involvement in militant activities. They were Universiti Malaya (UM) lecturer Dr Mahmud Ahmad @ Abu Handzalah, Selayang Municipal Council worker Muhammad Joraimee Awang Raimee and UM stationary shop owner Mohd Najib Husen.

They were accused of serving the IS movement in Iraq, according to police.

Then PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali announced their immediate expulsions following the police disclosure, saying they were mere ordinary members.

In Afghanistan, PAS branch committee member Zainon Ismail aka CN Al Afghani, also joined the fight and even published a 112-page book with pictures of himself and other Malaysians championing the same cause.

Even the late Kelantan mentri besar’s son, Nik Adli Nik Abdul Aziz, was detained under the ISA for involvement in the radical Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) movement in 2001.

There are many others. You only need to do a search online to find out more. The party may have officially condemned these radicals by sacking them, but it’s fair to suggest that it continues to attract members with the plan of setting up an Islamic state in Malaysia as the ultimate goal.

Our security forces must be commended for their vigilance and network of intelligence in keeping Malaysia safe, sound and sane.

Don’t count on our politicians, who just want to strike deals without bothering about the long-term consequences.

So, there are good reasons why Malaysians should worry when PAS members put up an act with fake swords, spears, and other weapons. It may be cosplay to PAS, but not to others.

Setting a casual tone: A tie-less Anwar (right) and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on their way to the first session of the 15th Parliament on Dec 20. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star

MINISTER Hannah Yeoh did something unique recently by turning up ahead of an event’s scheduled start and getting straight to the point.

Upon entering the packed venue of the townhall talk with sports industry players, she found the first three rows reserved for the ministry’s heads of departments.

The Youth and Sports Minister then did the unexpected by inviting participants who had been forced to stand at the back to move forward to fill the front rows.

The civil servants vacated their seats and sat behind Yeoh, who then went on to moderate the session herself.

The stakeholders included gym owners, tournament organisers, coaches, and sports science and medicine practitioners.

No time was wasted in the no-frills meeting. The routine fanfare associated with functions to welcome invited VIPs was unceremoniously discarded.

While Yeoh preferred to play down her actions, a video of what happened is making its rounds on social media.

When she was appointed to the job, she also gave a standing order that officials need not wait as a welcoming committee to greet her at functions.

These officials certainly have bigger fish to fry than join politicians in the entourages that seem to follow them everywhere they go.

There may be a necessity for a few officials to accompany a minister to answer questions or record issues requiring follow-up action, but the perception, arguably, is that these politicians crave a sense of self-importance and authority.

To put it bluntly, it merely inflates their egos and encourages delusions of grandeur.

We hope Yeoh’s practice will continue and won’t just be a case of a new broom sweeping clean.

Haven’t we seen newly elected YBs post pictures of themselves travelling in economy class but then slowly getting used to being in business class, even for a short trip?

When Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim decided to do away with the tie, he sent a powerful message of being someone who wants to get down to business and be hands on.

Here was someone who had no time for ornamental fripperies, as one report put it.

The more conventional gentlemen would say wearing a suit without a tie seems incomplete – even naked.

But I’m glad that the less formal and dress-down trend has taken off. We are emulating what the Singapore Parliament did long ago, allowing their male ministers and MPs to choose to wear a shirt without a jacket.

The tie-less approach has also been adopted at the Australian House of Representatives and Senate.

But more importantly, we need to create a new culture. Can the PM send a message down that there’s no need for a bunga mangga, kompang, silat and lion dance welcome unless there’s a festive element involved?

Not only is time wasted but funds are unnecessarily used, too, even if they are relatively paltry sums.

Malaysians should also dispense with the obligatory salutations by a speaker addressing titles and naming the important guests present. By the time the names of every Tan Sri, Puan Sri, Datuk Seri, Datin Seri, Datuk-Datuk and Datin-Datin are addressed, at least five to 10 minutes have gone by.

It also makes the untitled guests feel less important, which should never be the case.

Worse, it reaffirms the perception that Malaysia is probably the country with the greatest number of titled people. Police reports have been made of impostors who brazenly crow about their titles when they, in fact, have none.

Many African countries have stopped such long salutations and their speakers simply start their speeches or remarks with the standard, “Ladies and gentlemen, all the rules of decorum have been observed” or “Honourable delegates, distinguished ladies and gentlemen”.

Of course, protocols need to be observed and upheld when royalty is invited to grace events.

Finally, we should do away with having to hand VIPs gifts, which is a very Malaysian way of thanking guests. However, there’s a common fate that befalls these cenderamata – they all end up gathering dust in some corner of the ministry’s offices.

The better ones, of course, end up in the minister’s office and, sometimes, the waiting room, but we can only guess where the unwanted ones go.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as the PM of the Pakatan Harapan government after the 14th General Election in 2018, suggested that fruits, flowers and food be given instead.

But when a minister has at least four to five functions a day, what is the YB going to do with all these items with a limited shelf-life?

No wonder his idea didn’t take off, it was simply impractical.

These entrenched exercises in protocol will not disappear overnight, but gradual changes need to be made now.

Showing the way: Sultan Ibrahim (centre, in red) arriving at the state-level Thaipusam celebration at a temple in Skudai on Feb 5, along with other Johor state officials. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

IT makes perfect religious sense. There’s absolutely nothing contentious about the Johor religious affairs committee announcing a fatwa (religious decree) advising Muslims against participating in rituals of other faiths.

Other beliefs would echo that sentiment too. As a Christian, I certainly wouldn’t take part in a Thaipusam ritual or hold joss sticks when I attend a Taoist funeral.

When my Muslim friends pray, I would do the same in my own way. It’s done differently, of course, but the objective is the same in all prayers, which is always to ask for the best.

It is Taoist tradition to attend the Qingming festival, or tomb sweeping day, to honour the departed, especially family members, and I do so but refrain from engaging in the rituals.

We live in a multi-religious and multiracial country, so for most of us it would be disrespectful to stay away. Nothing can stop me from attending these important events, even if they could be religious in nature, and I think most of us are unwavering in our own faiths.

But it was the lack of clarity that led to some minor confusion. Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar had to issue a statement to clarify the matter.

It was a case of Johor exco member Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid not clearly answering questions posed by reporters at a press conference, even though the statement was precise. It became more confusing when State Mufti Yahya Ahmad reportedly said Muslims in Johor were barred from “observing” Thaipusam processions under the fatwa.

Observing and participating are two different things entirely. It was ambiguous because observing could also be interpreted as participating.

If it meant keeping away, then it would certainly be impractical because there would be Muslim policemen and Rela officers involved in crowd control.

For that matter, even Muslim reporters and photographers would be assigned to cover the event. Also, there would be Muslim onlookers when the processions pass through the streets, for example.

But Yahya could have been misquoted in the article, or perhaps something was lost in translation, or this was simply down to poor writing by the news portal.

His Majesty must be commended for not shying away from attending a luncheon hosted by the Indian community in conjunction with the Thaipusam celebrations at a temple in Skudai, Johor Baru.

He was joined by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi; state Tourism, Environment, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Raven Kumar; and state Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon.

Sultan Ibrahim later reaffirmed the “Bangsa Johor” concept, saying the racial and religious diversity of Johor will always be recognised and respected.

His Majesty rightly said the fatwa issued by the Johor Islamic Reli-gious Council was in no way in conflict with interfaith values of tolerance, unity and understanding as espoused under the “Bangsa Johor” concept.

“The fatwa only prohibits Muslims from taking part in other religious rituals. It is a guideline for them. They can still attend festive events of other faiths.

“Other religions must also respect Muslims’ sensitivities. It is a two-way street. We must be sensitive to each other’s religious obligations to get along,” His Majesty said.

It’s important for our leaders to attend events involving other faiths, even if it’s something symbolic like a simple lunch or tea during Christmas, or just to break fast with Muslims during Ramadan.

If Malaysians have no problem embracing public holidays to celebrate the festivals of other faiths, then we should be rejoicing the occasions together as Malaysians.

If these national leaders are unable to attend, then they should at least have the decency to send a senior representative.

But there shouldn’t be lame excuses. These politicians seem to be quite happy to show up at places of worship to canvas for votes during elections but suddenly can’t make an appearance when the polls are over.

They can give an excuse once, but let’s see if similar justifications are concocted in the following years.

The Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) must be commended for lauding the guidelines provided by the Johor authorities.

CCM general secretary Rev Jonathan Jesudas said non-Muslims should appreciate the limits that Muslims are subject to under syariah laws when inviting Muslim colleagues or friends to their festivities or celebrations.

“The clarity provided by the Johor Islamic religious affairs committee is welcome and will definitely promote greater harmony and interaction among the various religious communities in Malaysia,” he said.

Rev Jonathan also noted how Malaysians from various religious communities would join each other in celebrating religious festivals.

“Open houses are definitely a signature practice of Malaysians where all will visit one another, enjoy delicacies and the hospitality of their neighbours and friends who are celebrating.

“This is so much a part of life that in our joy, we hardly stop and recognise that this is religious harmony and tolerance.

“It is also the cement which holds the Malaysian community together, distinguishing us from the other nations in the world,” he said.

The most important reminder came from the Sultan of Johor, when he said that it’s better to emphasise the commonalities and values of all religions than dwell on their differences.

Again, it looks like we must depend on our Rulers to drive common sense home into our politicians’ heads.

Daulat Tuanku!