Analysia of tactics used by MNLF, MILF, ASG

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Excellent article on the Filipino claim over Sabah

The Sulu Sultanate Quarrel and Wider Implications

Written by the Asia Sentinel Staff

Tuesday, 05 March 2013

The Sulu Sultan Could it become a regional flashpoint? If it weren't for many so unnecessary deaths - and the apparent Malaysian need to act tough in advance of its pending national election - the confrontation in Sabah between Malaysian authorities and supporters of the pretender to the Sultanate of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, might have seemed comic. It was hardly comic this morning when Malaysia fighter jets and ground forces including seven army battalions responded with overwhelming force against the 200-odd men of the Royal Sulu Sultanate Army, routing them from a kampung on the eastern Sabah shore at Lahad Datu. It is questionable whether the force unleashed by the Royal Malaysian Army was necessary, or whether it was more a message to the Barisan Nasional's voting public of government decisiveness and military prowess. So far, President Benigno S. Aquino in Manila has been quiescent about the Sulu sultan's claims. But the sight of warplanes bombing a ragtag bunch of their countrymen is not going to sit well with the Filipino public. Beyond that, the situation is very much a reminder that what were thought permanent national boundaries established at the end of World War II and the 20 years of decolonization which followed may not be so, and that there remains the risk of a wider confrontation that has troublesome potential for the region. For instance the tragic events at Lahad Datu coincide with two other issues involving Sabah and its immediate Borneo neighbors, Sarawak and independent Brunei. One is the Chinese claim to waters stretching almost to the northern coast of Borneo and thus to waters within the Exclusive Economic Zones of Malaysia and Brunei. Malaysia has so far kept a low profile during the confrontations between China and Vietnam and the Philippines. But the Chinese claim to Malaysia-held islands and waters will not go away, however far Malaysia buries its head in the sand. Indeed, there are some in the East Malaysian states who feel that Kuala Lumpur's low profile on an issue so important to them reflects an attitude that the two states are only important so long as they provide resources and votes for the Barisan Nasional, or national ruling coalition led by the United Malays National Organization, the country's biggest ethnic political party. That now brings the two states to the forefront of another issue: the upcoming federal election. Loss of support for the Barisan there could see it booted out of office for the first time since independence. That the Barisan has so long done well in the two states is more the result of their complex ethnic and religious configurations, plus the power of money, than any great love for UMNO. The two states have both retained a higher degree of autonomy than those of the peninsula but have also seen their resources over-exploited by the alliance between local and peninsular elites to extract wealth for themselves, often to the great disadvantage of the indigenous people who are classed as bumiputeras, or natives, but, especially they are not also Muslims and do not in practice enjoy the same privileges as Malays. While no one is expecting the Malaysian federation assembled by the departing British in 1963 to fall apart in the foreseeable future, suddenly the region is looking a little less stable, and cracks covered up by regional cooperation within ASEAN and bilaterally since the end of Indonesian konfrontasi with Malaysia in 1966 and the Philippines de facto decision after 1968 not to pursue its Sabah claim, still exist. The Kiram move has also resurrected in some minds the broader Philippine claim to Sabah. Idiocy in Manila often seems to know no bounds. Independent observers would have thought that the nation had a poor-enough record in governing Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago than to sustain, at least on paper, a claim which has no justification in historical terms of being the successor of Spanish and US imperialism. The US never accepted the Sultan's claims in the Philippines let alone to the Borneo territory then under British control. The Philippine claim can only be pursued through a Sultan who could then also claim most of Mindanao as his own as an independent state. At a time when the Philippines should be strengthening ties with Malaysia and making common cause to defend their seas from Chinese expansionism, morons in Manila seem set on keeping the claim alive, damaging relations with Malaysia, undermining its position on the South China Sea, and making less likely peace for Mindanao and Sulu. The timing of the Kiram incursion suggests it may have been intended to create a diversion which would torpedo the still tentative peace deal between Manila and the MILF which Malaysia helped to broker. That remains to be seen but if the Philippines is not careful Malaysia could go back to an earlier de facto posture of allowing Muslim rebels in Sulu and Mindanao sanctuary and covert support. Take old Sultanate claims one step further and Brunei will start to claim all of east Malaysia, taken from it partly by the British, the Sulu archipelago and part of Mindanao lost by rebellion by the ancestors of the current Sultan (assuming he is the rightful heir). Events at this end of Malaysia could also have reverberations at the other end, where the Malaysian federation meets the rump of a once larger Thai kingdom to which the sultans of Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis once gave fealty. The Thais only conceded this in a 1909 treaty with the British, who accepted Thai sovereignty over Pattani, the ancient sultanate comprising the troubled southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, taken under direct Thai rule in 1902. Its Sultan had sought British help in fending off Thai demands but the British did not want to press the Thais too hard so it stayed part of Thailand. The British changed their minds after 1945 with a plan, backed by Pattani leaders feeling oppressed by Bangkok, to join to Malaya partly as punishment for Thai cooperation with Japan. But the US opposed it and the idea was dropped. But in the minds of many of the provinces' inhabitants it will not go away, at least until the Malays get the degree of autonomy they demand and which a centralized Thai state is unwilling to concede. Leaders of both countries have been making an effort to address the issue with Malaysia enabling talks with one of the many separatist groups to end the rising level of violence. However, there remains a huge problem reconciling Bangkok's view of the Thai state with a Malay population enjoying the sympathy, and more, of Malays across the border who may not always listen to leaders in Kuala Lumpur more interested in regional cooperation than ethnic solidarity.  http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5226&Itemid=178

Malaysian government not serious about controlling Illegal Immigrants

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/1/30/nation/20130130200145&sec=nation

Despite mandating employers in paying workers' levy, it is the workers
who actually payed the levy. Employers always deduct the levy from the
workers' salaries.

If the employers don't pay the levy, then the government can take
action against the employers. If the workers are to pay the levy
themselves, the government can only take action against the workers.
Since workers don't have money to pay the fines, they will just go to
jail, increasing the burden on public money, i.e. Malaysian taxpayers.

Theoretically, the government can take action against both employers
and illegal workers. It is only a question of providing the least
burden of proof and the ease at enforcing the fines. Workers' levies
allow the government a very conveninet way of controlling illegal
immigration while increasing its revenue.

By insisting that only workers need to pay the levy, employers will be
free to employ illegal workers at will. It will be harder to prosecute
employers who are the most responsible in bringing in illegal workers
to Malaysia anyway.

Re: Hong Kong is Cantonese and English

On Wednesday, January 30, 2013 7:50:05 AM UTC+8, Ir. Hj. Othman bin Hj. Ahmad wrote:
> I am surprised that after more than 10 years after the return of Hong
>
> Kong to China, Hong Kong is still predominantly Cantonese and English.
>
> Even their government servants use Cantonese and English.
>
>
>
> This is in contrast to Malaysian chinese and Singaporeans who insist
>
> on using Mandarin. How about Shanghai and Guangdong? Are they using
>
> their local dialects?

So Cantonese is better? The people in Suzhou does not want to use Cantonese, do you know why?

Visiting Hong Kong on a budget, from Kota Kinabalu

Our trip was not the cheapest because my wife insists on staying at 4
star hotels. We stayed at Eaton Smart Hotel at Nathan road. The room
was small but it has all the facilities of a 4 star hotel, like
complete bathroom, coffee set and even a heated swimming pool.

Jordan MRT station appear to be the best location for budge
travellers. I didn't know when I chose Eaton Hotel a few months ago
but there are other hotels in this area. Nathan Hotel, Novotel Hotel
and San Diego Hotel. Eaton hotel offered the best rate for us a few
months ago, booked through Agoda.

Starting from January 2013, Malaysia Airlines reopened the 3-hour
direct flights from Kota Kinabalu to Hong Kong. It costs RM1000
return. On the return leg, we used Boeing 777, with a video screen in
front of each passenger, similar to the last Kota Kinabalu to Tokyo
flights. Just like the Tokyo flights, the seats are almost full,
meaning MAS is unlikely to lose money on these routes. That is why we
wondered why the closed the flights when they combined with AirAsia.
In contrast, Air Asia fares are equivalent but with much less
facilites.

We only travel to places where there are direct flights from Kota
Kinabalu. It is too tiring to travel to places where we need to change
flights. Shanghai could be the next trip.

When you arrive in Hong Kong, you should buy the Octopus smart card
using cash at the arrival hall itself. No need to get out of the
arrival hall. The cheapest was HK$150, with HK$100 fares. I added HK
$50 but later on need to add another HK$50 for our 4 day time in Hong
Kong. When you return the smart cards, you will be refunded for any
remaining fare plus the HK$50 deposit, but you will be charged HK$9
for processing fee if you use the card for less than 3 months. Maybe
you should buy it online 3 months prior to your journey and save on
the HK$9 but I don't think it is worth the risk.

Google maps is useful in determing the bus numbers, location of bus
stops and number of stops to your destination, but it does not tell
you the fares. For fares, you need to download apps for the bus
companies. I only managed to install the apps for the Citybus company,
called citybusnwfb. Unfortunately bus number 1, 1A and 271 that I used
at Nathan road is not under Citybus. In Hong Kong, the fare appears to
be not based on distance. Rather at the place that you embark. You may
be charged the maximum fare although you only travel for a few stops.
Fortunately, MRT fare is based on the number of stops, but it is more
expensive. The cheapest, i.e. for 2 stops, is about HK$8. On the other
hand, the cheapest bus fare, was HK$4.2 using number 1 to Star Ferry
terminal.

The major attractions are Temple Street for cheap electronic goods,
which are mostly mobile phone accessories nowadays. Nowadays, there
are less variety and more expensive than online prices, although their
prices appear similar to street prices in Kota Kinabalu or Kuala
Lumpur. It is located at Jordan MRT.

The more interesting street market is the Ladies Market. It is located
nearest to Mongkok MRT, but we walked for about 30 minutes from Temple
Street. The journey was not boring because along the way, there are
lots of shops. You can even do your shopping along the way. The items
are everyday items, but we found it difficult to find disposable
cutlery such as plastic plates and bowls. Only one shop appear to be
selling them, Vanguard, at Nathan Street, 50m from Eaton Hotel.

At Tsim Sha Tsui stations, there are Mosque, Kowloon Park, Star Ferry
Terminal, large Department stores such as Sogo, waterfront views,
museums and Avenue of the Stars, all within 100m from each other. If
you have money, you should stay around this area. There are a few 5
star hotels including Sheraton and Hilton. For hostel class
accommodation, you can stay within the Chung King mansion. A lot of
Indians selling halal Indian muslim food at Chung King mansion
shopping centre. Just opposite Star Ferry terminal, you can go to the
second floor for the Sky Arcade where the state of the art audio
equipment is displayed. Kef speakers were there but there is not even
a centre speaker. 3D is also lacking. For electronic equipment,
another place is at Wan Chai Computer Centre.

Wan Chai Computer Centre is similar to Imbi Plaza. Lowyat is more
upper class, similar to the Sky Arcade. It is located just next to the
exit of the Wan Chai MRT. Wan Chai appears to be a muslim centre.
There is mosque, converted from a flat, about 100m from Wan Chai MRT.
At the 5th floor, there is a canteen serving Cantonese muslim food.
The environment is similar to our budget restaurant at Kota Kinabalu
such as Restoran Melaka. Sweet sour garouper costs HK$28. The fish was
fresh but Malaysian chinese cooking tastes much better. Probably
becasue the Hong Kong chinese do not use ginger in their cooking
unlike in Malaysia. Similarly at the flight home. Fish appears to be
fresh and cheap, similar to Kota Kinabalu.

Queensbay is an upmarket area. We went shopping at Sogo there. There
is a huge Victoria park there but we don't have time to visit the
area. Sabahans are not so keen on greenery. We are surrounded by
jungles.

Hong Kong park is located at the Admiralty MRT. There is an escalator
all the way to the park. From the park, there is a sign to the peak
tram terminal. The peak tram terminal should be within walking
distance from Hong Kong park but we never tried it.

The longest escalator in the world is at the mid-levels escalator. Mid-
levels appear to be the name of a location in Hong Kong. The
escalator starts from The Central Shopping Centre near the Central
MRT. Note the capital letters. They are different places but located
near to each other. Mid-level escalator go up for about 800 meters
with interrruptions. Going down, there are no escalators. The
escalators appear to be for visitors to SOHO area where there are many
pubs and restaurants.

The Central MRT is also near the Star Ferry terminal where there is
also a bus terminal just at the entrance of Star Ferry Terminal to the
peak tram terminal (15C), and Bigbus tours and another terminal about
50m further for buses to Ocean Park(629), bus to the Victoria peak
without using the tram(15) and Rickshaw bus tour. The buses all start
at 10 a.m. We arrived there at 9 am so wasted our time walking around
the area with nothing much to see but the Apple headquarters from a
far distance. Although there is an overhead bridge, the walking time
will be long so we only linger around the area.

We tried to Rickshaw H2 metropolitan tour only for a brief tour of the
city. It was disappointing to me. I just see lots of buldings despite
some explanations about the history of these building. The one that I
remember the most was St. Joseph Cathedral, among the oldest cathedral
in Hong Kong but it was a small church. It is located next to the Peak
Tram terminal. Although it was clearly announced that this is the
place for the Peak Tram Terminal, I missed the terminal because it is
hidden from the view of the bus. We can stop at the St. Joseph
Cathedral bus stop but continued to the Star Ferry terminal to
complete the bus tour and then retake the peak tram terminal bus
number 15C back to the terminal.

We planned to be at the Victoria peak at noon because we expected it
to be cold. My wife and 2 other children also visited the Madam
Tussaud wax statues. I and another son didn't because we had been to
Madam Tusaud in London. We paid an additional HK$30 to go to the Sky
Terrace, the highest point at Victoria peak tourist spot. There are
other private buildings at Victoria peaks that are even higher. There
is a free viewing terrace called the Green Terrace, slightly lower but
with greenery and free huge binoculars. You can see a good view of the
landmark triangular building, the Bank of China building. At the Green
Terrace, there is a picture labelling all the landmarks in Hong Kong
that you can view from the Green Terrace. Practically all major
buildings in Hong Kong island and Kowloon.

You can see the Bank of China building nearer from Hong Kong park. On
arriving from the 45 degree peak tram, we walked to the Central
Shopping Centre to try the mid-levels escalators. It should be less
than 1 km, but it took us about 30 minutes getting lost once a while
despite Google Maps, gps and broadband. Google Maps locations are only
accurate to about 50 meters so we can overshoot a street or two. We
still need to ask for directions. Luckily, the Hong Kong officers know
English sufficient enough to understand our main questions and
friendly enough to respond.

The starting point of the mid-levels escalators look just like any
other overhead bridges in Hong Kong so difficult for us to identify,
despite all the signages but these tend to be in small characters.
Road signs to mid-levels are bigger but they point to the wrong
directions because they are meant for cars and pointing to a zone, not
to a particular location.

Going to the hotel and back, we used the A21 bus service. It costs HK
$33 per trip. It took about 1 hour 20 minutes so the total travelling
time, including waiting time, of about 1 hour 30 minutes. 30 minutes
to look for Airport Express terminal to get the Octopus card refund
and looking around the airport. The customs is thorough but fast.
Immigration is also fast. Inside the main terminal, there are many
shops but we didn't go to Hong Kong to shop. Unfortunately, the
terminal for Malaysia Airlines is at 502, which is another terminal
block, accessible by shuttle bus only. Luckily we departed 3 hours
early. Still had about an hour at the smaller terminal.

At the smaller terminal, there is a non-halal chinese restaurant, and
a Starbuck cafe. We took coffee at Starbucks because it is the safest
for muslims since it does not serve any pork. Probably because it is
managed by religious jews and this is good for muslim travellers. The
price for a Caramel Machiatto, small is HK$32, largest HK$39.
Initially we bought 5 small ones but finding that it is more expensive
this way, the next time, we bought 3 largest ones. In one instance, I
tried all combinations of ingredients. Vanilla, Chocolate, Honey and
Nutmegs on a Caramel Coffee. At Kota Kinabalu, it is about the same
price, RM14, but in Hong Kong, it appears cheap because other
alternatives are priced similarly as well, such as nasi briani, that
costs only RM6 at Kota Kinabalu. The good thing is that I can use
credit cards at Starbucks, not at the Muslim canteen or for Octopus
smart cards.

We can also use credit cards at Ocean park, the top 10 theme parks in
the world. Our children was allowed all equipment unlike our stay 10
years ago in March because of strong winds. Unfortunately, there is no
Killer Whale anymore. Only dolphins.

The exchange rate when using credit cards is HK$1 to RM0.41, compared
to 0.39 for the best price for cash at Centre Point Kota Kinabalu. I
also notice that for US$, the cash rate is 2.99 compared to 3.2 for
credit cards. The exchange rate for cash at Hong Kong is much worse. HK
$2.2 for RM1, i.e. 0.45. Because we bring our own food, 3 large loaves
of bread, a few loaves of butter scotch bread, canned food, instant
porridge, rice, rice cooker and biscuits, we should spend less cash
there. We still need to exchange RM2000 to HK$. We also brought about
RM1000 cash, just in case. At the end of the journey, left about HK
$1000.

This is for 5 adults. My youngest son is now 14 years old. Compared to
travelling using tour groups, private travelling is cheaper but need
better preparations. Even my best preparations are still not enough.
Despite the internet and Google Maps, a lot of information is still
missing. Luckily also, I and my wife had travelled to Hong Kong 20
years ago. Although we forget a lot of things and many things have
changed, our combined memory helps us somehow. By making mistakes, our
memories are sharper but some things are still mysterious such as the
exact bus fare calculations.

If you are single, I recommend travelling in a group tour. The company
alone is worth the price. Travelling alone is boring. Tour groups also
allow some freedom to explore. Because tour groups get discounts,
prices for certain items such as transportation can be cheaper and
more comfortable as well. What is missing is the experience of living
as a local, but you can always travel to the same place again next
time.

Disclaimer:
This is just my opinion and experience. I am not responsible for its
absolute accuracy. Use the information at your own risk.

Hong Kong has the most efficient transportation

Hong Kong already has the best airport for 10 times since the last 11
years it was in operation. The exception was during the SARS period
that spread widely from Hong Kong.

I was able to travel from Eaton Hotel, Nathan Road, nearest to Jordan
MRT, to Hong Kong park in under 30 minutes. Staying at the park taking
pictures for a few minutes at the lake and back to the hotel took less
than an hour, and we took the wrong MRT entry, crossing the road
instead of using the entry just at the side of the road and mistakenly
coming out at Tsim Sha Tsui. instead of Jordan.

The reasons are:
1) overhead bridges and subways for road crossings
2) escalators almost everywhere

Singapore is not up to it yet. Not sure about London. I was in London
more than 20 years ago. Tokyo is no match because the interchanges in
Tokyo need a long distance of walking without much escalator.

Tokyo was not crowded, but Hong Kong feels even less crowded during
the weekend. Kota Kinabalu feels crowded in comparison. And that
includes the roads.

Hong Kong can be even cheaper because of the Electric Trams. Trams are
single carriage electric trains, running along the major roads. They
charge HK$2.3 per trip irrespecive of distance. It tends to be crowded
at the beginning but later on, as people disembark, there will be
seats available.

Kota Kinabalu, or any cities in the world, should emulate Hong Kong in
order to reduce congesting and pollution. Underground transportation
is not enough. Need to use smart cards, outdoor escalators and subways
in order to reduce the time taken to reach important destinations.

Hong Kong is Cantonese and English

I am surprised that after more than 10 years after the return of Hong
Kong to China, Hong Kong is still predominantly Cantonese and English.
Even their government servants use Cantonese and English.

This is in contrast to Malaysian chinese and Singaporeans who insist
on using Mandarin. How about Shanghai and Guangdong? Are they using
their local dialects?