Malaysian official to PHL, MILF: Sign peace pact soonest

A senior Malaysian official urged the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to find the "best solution" to sign a peace agreement soonest. Deputy Defense Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in Mindanao since Dec 9, 2004 is Malaysia's sixth involvement in the peace process. "If no peace agreement is signed between the Philippines government and MILF, it will also have an impact on politics, social and relationship between the Philippines and Malaysia," he said, according to a report on Malaysia's state-run Bernama news agency. "Both parties cannot use the IMT-Mindanao as an excuse to delay the peace process," he added. But Dr Abdul Latiff said he was confident that Mindanao would achieve peace just like what had happened in Sri Lanka between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government. Dr Abdul Latiff visited the IMT-Mindanao headquarters in Cotabato City Saturday to meet IMT-Mindanao chief Maj. Gen. Datuk Mahadi Yusof. Also present was Malaysia's Ambassador to the Philippines Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad. Dr Abdul Latiff's visit was part of his itinerary during his two-day visit to Mindanao that started Saturday. After his visit to the IMT, he visited a MILF facility together with members of the IMT-Mindanao and Ibrahim to meet MILF chief Al-Haj Murad. Murad said the MILF appreciated Dr Abdul Latiff's visits, which he said showed the sincerity of the Malaysian government in the pursuit of peace in Mindanao. He said the MILF will cooperate with Malaysia to achieve peace and order in Mindanao. Murad also thanked Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the Malaysian government for their role in the IMT in Mindanao. Dr Abdul Latiff later hosted a dinner for 150 Malaysians working and studying in the Philippines. - KBK, GMA News