Published on: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 |
Kota Kinabalu: Persatuan Rumpun Etnik Suluk Sabah (PRESS) is confident its more than 300,000 members are against the action of the Sukuk intruders from the Philippines in Lahad Datu.
Its Secretary Mohamad Zaki Harry Susanto said the Suluk community in Sabah pledged full support to the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
"We are also loyal to the Yang diPertuan Agong and Yang Di Pertua Negeri," he said, adding that most the members of the association are second and third generation Suluks who are now citizens of Malaysia.
He was among the leaders of the Suluk community and associations who came to meet with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman at his official residence in Seri Gaya, Tuesday, to pledge support to the government in handling the Lahad Datu issue.
The others were Tawau Suluk-Bajau Cultural Association and Kota Kinabalu Handicraft Association. Mohamad Zaki said they also condemned the action of the intruders whom he described as "unjust and cruel".
Tawau Suluk-Bajau Cultural Association deputy president Abdul Ali Erilis said they fully supported the Government's offensive against the armed group in Lahad Datu and its efforts to end the intrusion.
"Clearly, what they had done (intrude and kill) is uncivilised.
By right, whatever problems should have been settled through negotiations, without bloodshed," he said.
Representing Kota Kinabalu Handicraft Association, President Ruhil Sailadjan who was representing 114 handicraft stalls in the city that used to be known as the Filipino market, hoped the matter would be resolved soon.
Due to the incident, he said business at the market had slowed down with fewer visitors coming compared to an average of 2,000 daily before.
"So we hope the matter will not drag on until it affects the economy," he said.
