The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vehemently belied claims by MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari that the Government of Malaysia had used the MILF to strengthen its claim on Sabah and Malaysia is responsible for promoting disunity amongst Moros.
“This is a total lie and completely fabricated. Misuari has committed a serious sin for making such an irresponsible and callous statement against both the MILF and the Malaysian government. He should rectify and atone for this grave sin.”
This was the immediate reaction of Mohammad Ameen, head of the MILF Secretariat, to Misuari’s latest verbal assault on the MILF and Malaysia carried by Al-Jazeera YouTube and several Malaysian mainstream media in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Ameen reminded Misuari that it was Malaysia which called for the formation of the Bangsamoro Solidarity Conference (BSC) in 2002 in order to unite the factions of the MNLF and the MILF and to promote common position amongst them especially in their dealing with the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
“How could Malaysia use the MILF to strengthen its claim to Sabah when Sabah is never made part of the agenda of the peace talks since 2001?” Ameen asked.
Ameen also told Misuari that Malaysia did not volunteer to facilitate the GPH-MILF peace negotiation, but it was President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001 who requested it to act as in-between the two parties after the negotiation resumed after President Joseph Estrada’s all-out war against the MILF in 2000.
President Arroyo, as her first foreign trip since becoming president after the ouster of President Estrada, traveled to Kuala Lumpur to officially ask Malaysia to facilitate the GPH-MILF peace negotiation.
“Malaysia merely responded sincerely to the request of a good neighbor,” he explained.
Ameen added: “Why is Misuari so eager in backing up the Sabah claim now when throughout his 21 years of peace negotiation with the Philippine government, he never raised that issue and the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement on 1996 never had a reference on the Sabah claim?”
“It is a pity that Misuari is blaming everybody for the failure of his leadership and growing irrelevance to the Bangsamoro struggle to self-determination,” Ameen lamented.
“As leader, Misuari has nothing more to prove; it is better for him to rest, write his true memoirs, and allow the new breed of leaders to lead the Bangsamoro people towards the fulfillment of their true aspirations,” Ameen remarked.
Ameen added: “Why is Misuari so eager in backing up the Sabah claim now when throughout his 21 years of peace negotiation with the Philippine government, he never raised that issue and the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement on 1996 never had a reference on the Sabah claim?”
“It is a pity that Misuari is blaming everybody for the failure of his leadership and growing irrelevance to the Bangsamoro struggle to self-determination,” Ameen lamented.
“As leader, Misuari has nothing more to prove; it is better for him to rest, write his true memoirs, and allow the new breed of leaders to lead the Bangsamoro people towards the fulfillment of their true aspirations,” Ameen remarked.
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