Misuari says claim over Sabah would be revived

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Sultanate of Sulu will hale Malaysia to the International Court of Justice over the claim to the State of Sabah in Borneo. MNLF founder and former chairman Nur P. Misuari, in his first meeting with followers following his ouster as chairman by the group’s central committee, said the Bangsamoro in Mindanao would try all legal avenues to settle the Sabah issue peacefully. "We are not after war, so we will convince the Malaysian government for the sake of peace," Mr. Misuari said in his state of the Bangsamoro address at a local school here. The second Mindanao Leadership Summit was attended by over 10,000 MNLF combatants and members. Mr. Misuari said his detention was a result of conspiracy of both "local and foreign" groups who are out to silence him on Sabah. In November 2001, Mr. Misuari declared war on the Arroyo administration on the eve of elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. He was then on the verge of losing the gubernatorial polls after accusing the government of reneging on a September 1996 final peace agreement. Later, alleged MNLF guerillas and Abu Sayyaf bandits attacked an Army headquarters in Jolo that left 100 people dead and many wounded, including civilians. Mr. Misuari fled to Malaysia where he was captured by authorities with six of his aides on Jampiras Island near Sabah. - BusinessWorld